Carlee Russell’s parents insist there was a kidnapper after her mysterious 48-hour disappearance

The parents of an Alabama nursing student who returned home safely 48 hours after her mysterious disappearance have spoken out, claiming a “kidnapper” was behind her disappearance.

“Carlee gave the detectives her statement so they can continue to pursue her kidnapper,” Talitha Russell, Carlee Russell’s mother, said in an interview with police. Today show on Tuesday.

When asked if they think there is a kidnapper on the loose in the case, Talitha replied “absolutely, absolutely,” while Carlee’s father, Carlos, nodded in agreement.

Questions about the case have surfaced since Carlee Russell reappeared Saturday night at her parents’ Hoover home, 48 hours after she disappeared off the side of a highway after calling 911 to report she had a toddler on the side of the road. seen.

Captain Keith Czeskelba of the Hoover Police Department told DailyMail.com Tuesday morning, “We have spoken to Carlee once and are following up on that information, but we cannot share the details of our initial interview publicly.”

“We will follow up with her again to try and get a better understanding of her movements during the time she was missing and will provide all information when we are able to do so,” he added.

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe campaign, supposedly created to help Carlee get her life back on track, has been removed from the fundraising site. The messenger reported.

It wasn’t clear why the campaign was dropped, though Carlee’s family has publicly said they don’t want GoFundMe fundraisers for her, and the service has been known to remove fake campaigns to monetize high-profile people. events in the news.

GoFundMe did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com Tuesday morning.

Police are tight-lipped about whether they’re looking for a kidnapping suspect in the case, and the strange circumstances surrounding Carlee’s disappearance have so far left more questions than answers.

In the new interview, Carlee’s parents said they were victims of vicious taunts and fake messages claiming to have information about their daughter while she was missing.

“There were actually so many calls and texts from people maliciously lying to us,” said Talitha Russell. “I just didn’t know people could be that bad.”

The mom got emotional as she described the moment she was reunited with her daughter, saying the reunion was filled with “so much joy.”

“We tried to hug as best we could, but I had to step back because she wasn’t in great shape. So we had to step back and let medical professionals work with her,” Talitha said.

Police have not yet released any information about what happened to Carlee or where she was during their two-day search.

On Thursday, Carlee had left work at The Summit in Birmingham and stopped to get food at a restaurant in The Colonnade before getting on I-495 and heading back to her home in Hoover.

The nursing student, 25, called 911 at 9:34 p.m. Thursday night and reported that she pulled up along the highway to check on a toddler she had seen there, police said.

Russell’s 911 call was the only report of a child on the highway at the time, and there were no reports of a missing child in the area, police said.

After the 911 call, her family said she was on the phone with her brother’s friend, who didn’t hear a child but did hear Carlee Russell screaming. The line remained open, but Carlee stopped responding.

Within five minutes of being aired, Hoover police officers arrived and found Russell’s wig, cell phone, and purse with her Apple Watch in it on the road near her vehicle.

At 10:44 p.m. Saturday, a 911 caller reported that Russell returned home on foot to her parents’ home.

Police broadcast audio revealed that Russell was “unresponsive, but breathing” after officials said she had returned to her parents’ home.

Russell was taken to a hospital to be evaluated, and she was treated and released. Detectives went to Russell’s home and hospital to take a statement from her.

“The details of that statement are part of the ongoing investigation that is expected to continue in the coming days,” police said in a statement Monday.

“During the early part of the investigation, detectives were able to track nearly all of Carlee’s steps up to the point where she went missing and are confident that this will continue to be the case.”

Police did not share any information about where Russell was during the two-day search in Monday’s update, noting that the statement contained all the information they can currently release.

“We rejoice with the Russell family as they continue to rest and recover from this situation and ask that their wishes regarding their privacy be respected,” police said.

In a social media post, Russell’s boyfriend, Thomar Latrell Simmons, claims she “fought for her life for 48 hours” while missing.

He said on Sunday afternoon that his girlfriend is currently not “physically or mentally stable” enough to talk about the whereabouts of her alleged kidnapper.

Simmons, who shared loving photos of the couple together, said he was falsely accused of being involved in her disappearance but “believed” she would return.

Simmons, who went on a trip to New York City with Carlee last week, described his “nonstop” pursuit of her — and said he wasn’t giving up “until I saw her face again.”

He wrote, “I don’t even know how to begin this post, but to thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ for saving my friend’s life!

Thank you also to everyone who shared a photo, came to the Hoover Met to help us with the searches, and started telling other people about Carlee to help spread the word about her story.

“I’ve been going non-stop since I got the call Thursday night that she was missing. I know she would have done the same for me so I wouldn’t give up until I saw her face again!

“I was a real tunnel vision, even getting on social media during my free time and seeing some of the false accusations and assumptions that I had something to do with her kidnapping would discourage me at times, but I didn’t give up & have keep my faith!’