The parents of Carlee Russell are sharing new information regarding their daughter’s disappearance. The 25 year old nursing student disappeared after calling 911 on July 13 to report a child walking on I-459 highway in Hoover, AL.
In an interview with NBC News, Carlee’s parents, Talitha and Carlos Russell, read from a written statement that offered updates on their daughter.
“Carlee has given detectives her statement so that they can continue to pursue her abductor,” Talitha Russell read.
Her mother added that she was “absolutely” sure that Carlee’s abductor was still at-large.
Family Asking for Patience
Once authorities arrived at the scene the night of Carlee’s call to 911, they found the woman’s car abandoned and still running. However, she nor the child were anywhere to be found.
While police were searching for Carlee, her parents said they dealt with several calls and texts falsely claiming to have information on Carlee’s location.
“There were actually just so many calls and texts from people who maliciously lied to us,” Talitha Russell said. “I just didn’t know people could be so evil.”
Russell was missing for over 48 hours before returning home on July 15.
Due to the ongoing investigation, Carlee’s parents have declined to share details of what Carlee told them following her return.
“Anything leading to the case itself, we can’t discuss that,” Talitha Russell said.
Online, people are calling for answers. Several Facebook and Reddit groups have been created to discuss the woman’s disappearance and eventual reappearance. As people theorize online, the family is asking everyone to avoid creating untrue narratives regarding what happened to their daughter.
“She’s having to deal with the trauma of people just making completely false allegations about her,” Talitha Russell said.
Police Investigation Continues
The Hoover Police Department said it is working through evidence in the case as it continues its investigation. The department released a thorough timeline of the time Carlee left work on July 13 up until the moment she disappeared. However, they say they do not have details to release on what happened to her over the 48 hours she was missing.
“Each piece of information is helping investigators reconstruct Carlee’s movements during the time she was missing,” Hoover police Lt. Keith Czeskleba said on July 17 in a statement.
“This is a tedious process, but it is important to make sure everything is methodically evaluated so that we have the clearest possible picture of what took place from the time Carlee called 911 until she returned home Saturday night.”