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Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

'Missing' Carlee Russell Leaves Trail of Lost TP, Cheez-It, Trail Mix, and Orange-headed Perp

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline

True Crime, News

4.28.1K Ratings

🗓️ 20 July 2023

⏱️ 34 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Carlee Russell calls 911, telling the operator that she sees a toddler walking down the side of an Alabama freeway.

When police arrive, there's no toddler and  Russell is gone. Her car, however,  is still parked along the highway. The door is open and the car is running. Forty hours later, Russell returns home, telling investigators in a brief interview that she was abducted by a man with orange hair and a woman.  

As the investigation continued, police find some “really strange” internet searches in the hours before she vanished, such as the cutoff age for an AMBER Alert.  

Joining Nancy Grace Today:

  • James Shelnutt – Attorney – The Shelnutt Law Firm, P.C.; 27-year Atlanta Metro Area Major Case Detective and Former S.W.A.T. Officer; Twitter: @ShelnuttLawFirm
  •  Dr. Shari Schwartz – Forensic Psychologist (specializing in Capital Mitigation and Victim Advocacy); Twitter: @TrialDoc; Author: “Criminal Behavior” and “Where Law and Psychology Intersect: Issues in Legal Psychology” 
  • Sheryl McCollum – Cold Case Investigative Research Institute Founder; Host of the new podcast, “Zone 7;” Twitter: @ColdCaseTips 
  • Mike Hadsell - President and Founder of Peace River K9 Search and Rescue, 
  • Lee Reiber – Mobile Device Forensic Expert, CEO: Oxygen Forensics, Inc., Author: “Mobile Forensic Investigations: A Guide to Evidence Collection, Analysis, and Presentation;” Podcast: “Forensic Happy Hour”
  • Savannah Sapp - Multimedia Journalist and Reporter for WAFF48 in Alabama; Twitter: @Savannah Sapp/Instagram:@savannahsapp.tv/Facebook:SavannahSappWAFF48 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Cribe stories with Nancy Grease

0:13.7

An orange-haired man with a ball-spot, cheese-its, toilet paper, the red-roof-in, what happened

0:28.2

in the case of Carly Russell?

0:31.9

I'm Nancy Grease. This is Cribe Stories. Thanks for being with us here at FoxNation and

0:36.1

Series XM-111. Let's start the get-go with 9-1-1 call. Take a listen, Arquette 7-4-4-2-2-4-7-1-4-7-1-4-9-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-

1:06.1

442-RBs advising there's no cars in the area that the child's been abandoned on the side of the road. If you're willing to take the time and the energy and you dissect 9-1-1 calls, you learn so much. Take a listen to the rest of that call.

1:36.1

If you're willing to take the time and you're willing to take the time and you're willing to take the time and you're willing to take the time and you're willing to take the time and you're willing to take the time and you're willing to take the time and you're willing to take the time and you're willing to take the time and you're willing to take the time and you're willing

2:06.1

All personal belongings except for the phone in the car, the car unlocked and still running. That is what police can find when they go to answer 9-1-1-1-1 call, made by Carly Russell reporting a toddler walking unattended alone along the side of a freeway.

2:35.1

Police need help finding a missing 25-year-old woman. Carly Thia Russell, who goes by Carly, police say around 9-30 Thursday night, Russell called 9-1-1 stating she saw a toddler walking alone on I-459.

2:51.1

After calling 9-1-1, Russell stopped to check on the child and called a family member to report the same details. The family member lost contact with her. Officers found Russell's vehicle in some of her belongings but were unable to find her or a child.

3:07.1

Joining me now is our panel to make sense of what we know right now, but first to Savannah Sat Multimedia Journalist reporter, WFF48 Alabama.

3:16.1

Savannah, thank you for being with us and not only did she make a 9-1-1 call, she also contacted her family telling them she had seen this toddler walking along the side of a freeway and then you hear a commotion shuffling on the other end of the phone and she screams and that's the end of the call. Do I have that right?

3:37.1

Yes, that's pretty much what has been reported by her family and as well as the Hoover Police Department.

3:43.1

Now explain to me, Hoover is a little bit outside of Birmingham, is that correct? Yes, it's very close to the Birmingham metropolitan area.

3:55.1

Very close to the Birmingham metropolitan area and what can you tell me about this stretch of road where Curly Russell says she sees a tot boy walking along in a t-shirt and a dip.

4:07.1

But first thing I can tell you is that Birmingham much like where I live in Huntsville is mostly interstate road, busy busy roads, thousands of cars on it every single day.

4:20.1

So the idea of her pulling over on the shoulder of the interstate to check on a toddler is strange and wild to everyone because you think of interstate, you think of busy stretch of highway where most accidents tend to happen.

4:38.1

So you think if a toddler on the side of the road, most people would be worried and concerned as well.

4:44.1

I don't know if everyone would stop the check, especially at night like that, but most people would be concerned.

4:51.1

Joining me from Alabama is James Schellnut, high profile lawyer, former SWAT officer and with Metro Major Case.

4:59.1

He's at shellnutlawfrom.com. James, this is your neck of the woods. I can't go anywhere without a camera watching me and that's fine with me.

5:09.1

Fine, look, I'd be mad if you didn't. But wouldn't cameras have revealed a toddler walking along the side of the road?

...

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