Carlee Russell (Hoover Police Department)
BESSEMER, Ala. - Carlee Russell, the Alabama nursing student who called 911 claiming she saw a toddler walking along the interstate before inexplicably disappearing for two days, will be back in court next week for a new plea hearing for her fake report.
Russell was scheduled for trial March 18, but a court document filed Thursday shows a plea hearing is now set for March 21. The document did not specify whether she will plead guilty.
Russell’s attorneys appealed her case to circuit court after a municipal judge, in an October ruling, found Russell guilty of misdemeanor charges of false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident. The ruling came after Russell’s attorneys agreed to "stipulate and appeal" — a procedure in which a defendant acknowledges evidence against them, a guilty decision is entered and the case moves up to circuit court.
Carlee Russell's disappearance
Carlethia "Carlee" Nichole Russell, who was 25 at the time, captivated the nation for two days after she seemingly vanished.
Russell made the call to 911 on the evening of July 13, 2023, and then spoke to a family member, saying that she saw a young child walking on the side of Interstate 459 South near Mile Market 11 in Hoover, Alabama, which is located just outside of Birmingham. She told the family member she was pulling over to check on the child.
While the line remained open, Russell never returned to the phone.
When officers arrived at the location, they found Russell's red Mercedes still running along the interstate, but they were unable to find her or a child in the area.
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What happened to Carlee Russell?
Hoover Police are trying to piece together what led up to and during the 49 hours 25-year-old Carlethia "Carlee" Nichole Russell, the Alabama woman who disappeared after calling 911 to report a toddler along the side of a busy highway, was missing.
Officers found her car door open and her wig, hat, and cell phone.
No children had been reported missing in the area and no one was found at the scene.
Where was Carlee Russell?
Investigators believe Russell got off work around 8:20 p.m. from a business at The Summit in Birmingham, picked up food and then drove towards Hoover, where she lives with her parents.
The day she disappeared, Russell went to Harpersville, where officials say she briefly interacted with members of the city's police department.
Russell would return home around 10:45 p.m. on July 15, 2023. She would tell the police she had been abducted and forced into a vehicle.
Police quickly cast doubt on Russell’s story. Her attorney issued a statement through police acknowledging there was no kidnapping and that she never saw a toddler. In the statement, Russell apologized to law enforcement and the volunteers who searched for her.
Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis previously said he was frustrated that Russell was only being charged with two misdemeanors despite the panic and disruption she caused. He said the law did not allow for enhanced charges.
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Carlee Russell faces misdemeanor charges
Authorities in Alabama have now charged the woman at the center of a missing person’s case that made national headlines with two misdemeanors.
Alabama legislators this year are considering a bill that would enhance penalties for falsely reporting crimes.
Where Russell was during her 49-hour disappearance still has not been made completely public.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story is being reported out of Atlanta.