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Carlee Russell, a 25-year-old woman from Alabama, went missing on July 13, 2023, after stopping to help a toddler on Interstate 459 in Hoover. She had called the police and her family to inform them about the child before screaming and abruptly ending the call. When the police arrived, they found her car running with no signs of Carlee or the child. Witnesses reported seeing a gray vehicle with a man outside Carlee’s car. Tracks were found in the grass, but the vehicle type couldn’t be determined. 

So, as the search continues for Carlee, here’s what we know about her disappearance so far:

• The most terrifying aspect of all of this is why Russell pulled her red Mercedes to the shoulder of I-459. The nursing student had just picked up dinner for her family — she reportedly got off work around 8:20 p.m. — and was on the way home when she called police and then her family to let them know that she spotted a toddler walking along the roadway and that she was pulling over to help. AL.com said Russell told the dispatcher she was near mile marker 11.
• Russell was actually on the phone with her brother’s girlfriend when she said she was going to check on the child. She told her that the child appeared to be between 3 and 4 years old. “My daughter in law could hear her ask if the child was OK, and the child didn’t respond — at least she didn’t hear her respond,” Russell’s mother, Talitha Russell, told Fox. “Then she heard our daughter scream.” The family member said that after Carlee screamed, all that could be heard was the sound of Interstate traffic.
• Police said they received the call from Russell at 9:34 p.m. and when they arrived, they said they found her car still running, but there were no signs of Russell or a young child. “Her car door was open,” Talitha Russell told Fox. “They have found her wig and her hat and her cell phone.” Her mother said her purse with her Apple watch and Air Pods were still inside the Mercedes, too.
• Hoover Police Lt. Daniel Lowe said at a press conference that “A single witness has reported possibly seeing a gray vehicle with a light complexioned man standing outside Carlee’s vehicle.”
• Talitha Russell told AL.com that the witness “Saw a gray car with a tall brown skinned man with khaki shorts leaning over in the car.”
• Talitha Russell also told AL.com that police did “find some tracks in the grass. They said because it was not a muddy area, they were not able to determine what type of vehicle it could have been.”
• There is traffic cam video that shows Russell’s car riding along the shoulder of Interstate 459 with emergency flashers on. Police said they are working on getting that video enhanced.
• Police said they are doing a forensic examination of Carlee’s phone to see if any clues can be found there.
• Investigators say that no children have been reported missing in the area.

Have you seen Carlee Russell?

Russell is a Black female standing at 5-foot-4 and weighing 150-to-160 pounds. She was last seen wearing black pants, a black shirt and black tennis shoes.

According to AL.Com, she was a student at Jefferson State Community College and worked part time at The Woodhouse Day Spa.

She had reportedly spent the day in Harpersville and interacted with police there during that time.

“We were honored to spend time with this smart, courteous and honoring young woman yesterday,” the Harpersville Police Department wrote on Facebook. “She was handling some business in the Town of Harpersville yesterday and we were so impressed by her respect, poise, good attitude and drive to become a nursing student and help others. When this news broke, so did our hearts. This world needs many many more young women and young men like her.”

According to AL.com, rewards for information leading to the return of Carlee Russell are up to $25,000. An anonymous donor reportedly put up $20,000, and Crime Stoppers is offering $5,000.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Detective Brad Fountain at 205-444-7562, Sergeant Drew Mims at 205-739-7274 or Crimestoppers of Metro Alabama at 205-254-7777.