Carlee Russell (@ mention)

[TR]

This is a terrifying situation:

www.cnn.com/2023/07/14/us/carlee-russell-missing-alabama/index.html

Summary: Young woman calls 911 that she pulled over because there was a toddler on the side of the road. She hangs up with 911, calls a family member. Family member hears a scream and then nothing and the police found her car and belongings and wig and she’s missing.

I have to think the toddler (real or not) was some kind of decoy or something. No one has reported a missing small child.

[Jalapeñomel]

Holy shit this is terrifying.

[isabel]

It's super scary. Definitely seems like the toddler was a lure.

[melmel4854]

I have been following the story and it is so scary and very sad. Someone knows where she is. I keep talking to a friend about it.

The toddler was definitely used as a lure, I think. I keep checking for updates.

[lo]

I’m also following this story and it’s just so awful.

I agree the toddler sounds like a lure, but seems so risky to do on a busy highway. What if a cop or even a man (assuming they wanted to target a woman, who knows at this point I guess) was the first to stop to help.

[heyyounotyouyou]

Jul 15, 2023 21:52:52 GMT -5 lo said:

I’m also following this story and it’s just so awful.

I agree the toddler sounds like a lure, but seems so risky to do on a busy highway. What if a cop or even a man (assuming they wanted to target a woman, who knows at this point I guess) was the first to stop to help.

Yeah I don’t like the lure theory. Who can depend on a toddler to follow the plan??

[RoxMonster]

She showed up at her parents' house tonight and is being treated at a hospital. www.al.com/news/2023/07/carlee-russell-found-safe-returns-home-2-days-after-she-vanished.html?utm_campaign=aldotcom_sf&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

[lilac05]

Jul 15, 2023 23:42:42 GMT -5 RoxMonster said:

She showed up at her parents' house tonight and is being treated at a hospital. www.al.com/news/2023/07/carlee-russell-found-safe-returns-home-2-days-after-she-vanished.html?utm_campaign=aldotcom_sf&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

I’m so glad she was found safe. I have so many questions!

[underwaterrhymes]

I’m so glad she has been found safe and I’m also glad that this story had momentum. So many Black, Indigenous, and other women of color disappear without any mention from mainstream press.

@@
The one thing that makes me uncomfortable about this particular story is the push it has given to the false messaging that traffickers use kids and animals to “lure” victims. While that may have been the case here (although I don’t personally think this was a case of trafficking), this is a myth spread by well-meaning but uninformed people who have bought into lies. Traffickers rarely target people they don’t know and grabbing someone using a toddler as bait is not in any way typical of a trafficking situation.

[TR]

Oh wow, I’m so glad she’s returned safe! So many questions.

And I never thought it was a trafficking thing because yeah, that’s not how that happens. I was thinking of it being some kind of serial killer thing to do.

[karinothing]

It seems likely given that there doesn't seem to have been a search for a toddler, that there was no man hunt for a subject, and she was released after 2 hours in the hospital that she likely was never kidnapped.

Whatever happened I hope she gets the help she needs.

Eta: also there have been some odd stories lately. This coupled with the boy who re appeared after 8 years only to be found to have never been missing at all.

[frlcb]

Jul 16, 2023 9:07:34 GMT -5 karinothing said:

It seems like given that there doesn't seem to have been a search for a toddler, that there was no man hunt for a subject, and she was released after 2 hours in the hospital that she likely was never kidnapped.

Whatever happened I hope she gets the help she needs.

Eta: also there have been some odd stories lately. This coupled with the boy who re appeared after 8 years only to be found to have never been missing at all.

I have read a few places (and can’t find them now of course) that it’s rumored she had some sort of mental break and may have believed she saw a toddler and didn’t. I have no idea but i agree that it’s odd that there is no search for a toddler or kidnapper that we’ve heard about.

I also agree with the poster above about “luring” people with toddlers or children. All these white women who claim they were almost trafficked in like a city or a craft store drive me nuts. That’s not how traffickers work. They don’t target sorority girls.

[lo]

Yeah I guess I was going on the assumption that there was an actual toddler and trying to make sense of what could have happened. I wasn’t thinking trafficking, though.

So glad she’s been found!

[basilosaurus]

What a strange story. I hope she gets whatever follow up care she needs

[isabel]

Jul 16, 2023 8:10:21 GMT -5 TR said:

Oh wow, I’m so glad she’s returned safe! So many questions.

And I never thought it was a trafficking thing because yeah, that’s not how that happens. I was thinking of it being some kind of serial killer thing to do.

This was exactly my thought. Trafficking never crossed my mind. I figured if a man or police officer stopped, the person would feign relief or whatever. It’s half baked, admittedly.

I’m so glad she’s safe!

[erbear]

Jul 16, 2023 9:14:14 GMT -5 frlcb said:

Jul 16, 2023 9:07:34 GMT -5 karinothing said:

It seems like given that there doesn't seem to have been a search for a toddler, that there was no man hunt for a subject, and she was released after 2 hours in the hospital that she likely was never kidnapped.

Whatever happened I hope she gets the help she needs.

Eta: also there have been some odd stories lately. This coupled with the boy who re appeared after 8 years only to be found to have never been missing at all.

I have read a few places (and can’t find them now of course) that it’s rumored she had some sort of mental break and may have believed she saw a toddler and didn’t. I have no idea but i agree that it’s odd that there is no search for a toddler or kidnapper that we’ve heard about.

I also agree with the poster above about “luring” people with toddlers or children. All these white women who claim they were almost trafficked in like a city or a craft store drive me nuts. That’s not how traffickers work. They don’t target sorority girls.

I agree that that’s normally the case, but there was also a case in my local mall last week where a 14 year old (white) girl was coming down an escalator and a man grabbed her arm at the bottom and tried to pull her toward the exit (he’s been arrested). It happens, albeit very infrequently.

www.cbsnews.com/amp/philadelphia/news/willow-grove-mall-attempted-abduction-teen-girl-crime/

[frlcb]

Jul 16, 2023 9:52:36 GMT -5 erbear said:

Jul 16, 2023 9:14:14 GMT -5 frlcb said:

I have read a few places (and can’t find them now of course) that it’s rumored she had some sort of mental break and may have believed she saw a toddler and didn’t. I have no idea but i agree that it’s odd that there is no search for a toddler or kidnapper that we’ve heard about.

I also agree with the poster above about “luring” people with toddlers or children. All these white women who claim they were almost trafficked in like a city or a craft store drive me nuts. That’s not how traffickers work. They don’t target sorority girls.

I agree that that’s normally the case, but there was also a case in my local mall last week where a 14 year old (white) girl was coming down an escalator and a man grabbed her arm at the bottom and tried to pull her toward the exit (he’s been arrested). It happens, albeit very infrequently.

www.cbsnews.com/amp/philadelphia/news/willow-grove-mall-attempted-abduction-teen-girl-crime/

I am sure there are exceptions, but it definitely isn’t the norm.

[wanderingback]

Jul 16, 2023 9:07:34 GMT -5 karinothing said:

It seems likely given that there doesn't seem to have been a search for a toddler, that there was no man hunt for a subject, and she was released after 2 hours in the hospital that she likely was never kidnapped.

Whatever happened I hope she gets the help she needs.

Eta: also there have been some odd stories lately. This coupled with the boy who re appeared after 8 years only to be found to have never been missing at all.

Whoa do you have a link to that story about that boy? I remember reading it. I always know I’ll never see follow up for a lot of these cases, def didn’t see that cause when I first read about it the story seemed really weird with pieces missing.

[karinothing]

Jul 16, 2023 10:44:44 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

Jul 16, 2023 9:07:34 GMT -5 karinothing said:

It seems likely given that there doesn't seem to have been a search for a toddler, that there was no man hunt for a subject, and she was released after 2 hours in the hospital that she likely was never kidnapped.

Whatever happened I hope she gets the help she needs.

Eta: also there have been some odd stories lately. This coupled with the boy who re appeared after 8 years only to be found to have never been missing at all.

Whoa do you have a link to that story about that boy? I remember reading it. I always know I’ll never see follow up for a lot of these cases, def didn’t see that cause when I first read about it the story seemed really weird with pieces missing.

www.dallasnews.com/news/texas/2023/07/13/rudy-farias-says-his-mother-brainwashed-him-its-like-i-lived-in-a-jail-my-whole-life/

[Velar Fricative]

I’m so glad she is safe but wow, what a story. I read in the NYT that she was on the phone with someone and mentioned spotting a toddler and then the person on the other line heard Carlee scream. So, something did happen, we just don’t know what actually did happen versus Carlee thinking she saw something that she mistook for a toddler or had a mental break. She left the engine running and the car door open so whatever she saw or thought she saw probably spooked her.

[gretchenindisguise]

I was so thankful at how quickly this story blewup on tiktok given our country’s typical response to missing black women.

I hope whatever the final story ends up being, that it doesn’t deter future missing women from receiving the same response.

[sonrisa]

Jul 16, 2023 10:54:15 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

So, something did happen, we just don’t know what actually did happen versus Carlee thinking she saw something that she mistook for a toddler or had a mental break. She left the engine running and the car door open so whatever she saw or thought she saw probably spooked her.

honestly, when I first read the description here, it sounded like self abduction to me. (Too many perfectly lined up things - calling. 911 before talking to the child and not keeping them on the phone while she stopped. Being on the phone at the time of the abduction so others would hear her scream, leaving the car still running even though she supposedly had gotten out or talk to the kid, etc.

I had started a reply along those lines until I opened the article and saw this wasn’t a white trumper type. Those have made headlines and the ‘abduction’ is always this level of dramatic and feed into that narrative of human trafficking.

Whatever is the case, I hope she gets the help she needs.

[Deleted]

Jul 16, 2023 9:14:14 GMT -5 frlcb said:

Jul 16, 2023 9:07:34 GMT -5 karinothing said:

It seems like given that there doesn't seem to have been a search for a toddler, that there was no man hunt for a subject, and she was released after 2 hours in the hospital that she likely was never kidnapped.

Whatever happened I hope she gets the help she needs.

Eta: also there have been some odd stories lately. This coupled with the boy who re appeared after 8 years only to be found to have never been missing at all.

I have read a few places (and can’t find them now of course) that it’s rumored she had some sort of mental break and may have believed she saw a toddler and didn’t. I have no idea but i agree that it’s odd that there is no search for a toddler or kidnapper that we’ve heard about.

I also agree with the poster above about “luring” people with toddlers or children. All these white women who claim they were almost trafficked in like a city or a craft store drive me nuts. That’s not how traffickers work. They don’t target sorority girls.

Nor do they target 47-year-old white ladies, who seem to be the majority of the people making those videos that are all breathless in their car like “OMG y’all, I was followed in Walmart and I just know they were going to traffic me, but I got out of there so fast….”

[pixy0stix]

I'm glad she's been found. Hopefully the full story will be released so the speculation stops.

[rosiebear]

Having lived through the Audrey Seiler* story, I am skeptical. I hope she gets help and I am very happy she is safe.

*Audrey Seiler faked her abduction and sparked a huge search and panicked the campus community.

[heyyounotyouyou]

Jul 16, 2023 12:09:51 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

I'm glad she's been found. Hopefully the full story will be released so the speculation stops.

This. I hate when people speculate or are skeptical. How about we just believe these folks and are happy they are home/safe and let them deal with whatever privately. No need to armchair question any motive or reasoning as to what happened. It brings zero value to a situation like this, all it does is make people skeptical to future missing people, which sucks. 

[karinothing]

Her boyfriend says she fought for her life for 48 hours and she is not ready to talk about her kidnapping yet.

http://instagram.com/p/Cuw-fbZujPo

I would he surprised that the police wouldn't make some kind of statement to ensure the public they are safe or need to be looking for someone?

[krystee]

In this article, it said the police said the most important thing is that she’s back and that when they think it’s time to sit down and have a conversation with her to get some facts, they’ll do that. That leads me to believe it is not a kidnapping since you wouldn’t just let a few days pass while a kidnapper is on the loose. Regardless of what the situation turns out to be, I am relieved that she’s alive and safe.

www.cnn.com/2023/07/16/us/carlee-russell-found-alabama/index.html

[wanderingback]

Looks like there’s going to be a press conference today at 2. I wonder if they’ll provide more info. I’m sure the rumors are out of control.

www.newsweek.com/carlee-russell-update-police-reveal-details-child-surveillance-footage-1813885?amp=1

[wanderingback]

Jul 16, 2023 10:51:08 GMT -5 karinothing said:

Jul 16, 2023 10:44:44 GMT -5 wanderingback said:

Whoa do you have a link to that story about that boy? I remember reading it. I always know I’ll never see follow up for a lot of these cases, def didn’t see that cause when I first read about it the story seemed really weird with pieces missing.

www.dallasnews.com/news/texas/2023/07/13/rudy-farias-says-his-mother-brainwashed-him-its-like-i-lived-in-a-jail-my-whole-life/

Wow what an awful story!