Carlee Russell admits disappearance, 'missing child' reported on Alabama highway, a hoax, police say

Carlee Russell, the Alabama woman who reported seeing a toddler alongside an interstate before she disappeared and returned home days later, admitted that she was never abducted during the 49 hours she was missing, Hoover, Alabama, police said Monday.

Russell was reported missing off a highway in a Birmingham suburb on the night of July 13 after calling 911 to report a toddler walking along the interstate, according to the Hoover Police Department. She returned home on foot on July 15.

In a press briefing on Monday, Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said the department received a letter from Russell's attorney saying she was never taken and that her report of a missing child on an interstate during a 911 call was false.

The letter said that no one assisted Russell in fabricating her story and that she apologizes to the community, searchers, police and her family for her mistake, Derzis said. He added that police are unaware of Russell's motivation.

"The sad thing is again there were so many people that were involved [and] took this thing very seriously. We wanted the focus to be bring her home. She got home. We're very excited about that. It is what it is," Derzis said. "The facts last Wednesday pretty much show that we knew it a hoax."

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The investigation will still continue as police have yet to determine where Russell was during those 49 hours, Derzis said.

"I am glad that we received this. It at least puts some of the social media 'super-sleuths' hopefully to rest for a little bit as far as the conjecture of what everyone thinks took place," Derzis said.

Will Russell face criminal charges?

Derzis told reporters at Monday's briefing that prosecutors will decide whether Russell faces any criminal charges for the hoax. He said that Russell is currently not in custody.

USA TODAY has reached out to the Jefferson County District Attorney's office for comment.

Russell's 911 call

At last week's press briefing, Derzis played a recording of the 911 call where Russell reported seeing the boy. However, Derzis said officers did not receive reports of a missing child in that area and that Russell's 911 call remains the only timely report of a child on the interstate.

"I think it's a little boy," Russell told the 911 operator. "It's a white t-shirt it doesn't look like he has any pants on. It looks like a diaper."

She reportedly pulled over near and told 911 that she was stopping to check on the child. Hoover police arrived at scene five minutes after being dispatched and found Russell's vehicle, unlocked and running with her purse, Apple watch, and wig, according to a July 17 statement from Lieutenant Daniel Lowe.

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Where was Russell the night she went missing?

Russell left work around 8:20pm CT on July 13. She picked up food from a local shopping center and stopped at Target according an earlier police statement.

Police reported Russell having a dark-colored bathrobe and a roll of toilet paper among other items from work that were not found at the scene.