A 25-year-old woman disappeared to check on a child who was wondering alone on the side of an Alabama interstate highway.
Carlethea ‘Carly’ Nicole Russell was on the phone with her brother-in-law when she got out of her car to check on the child. The family member then heard a sudden scream and lost contact with Russell a short time later.
When officers arrived at the location, they found Russell’s car, along with her cell phone, purse, wig and Apple Watch in the area nearby – but Russell and the child were nowhere to be seen.
Hoover police have not received any other missing child calls. A witness may have seen a gray vehicle and a man standing outside Carly’s vehicle, but police said they did not have additional information.
His mother, Talitha Russell, said, ‘At some point during the process he got out of the car and my daughter-in-law heard him asking the baby if they were OK’. ‘The child didn’t respond, or at least he didn’t hear her respond, she responded.’
Carlethea ‘Carly’ Nichol, 25, was on the phone with her sister when she pulled over to check on a child wondering alone on the side of an Alabama interstate highway Thursday night and disappeared.
The 25-year-old was on the phone with her brother-in-law when the family member heard screams and went to check up on the child before losing contact.
‘And then he heard our daughter Carly screaming, and from there we heard noises… background noise on her phone, which we later found out was noise from the interstate.’
Russell left work around 8:20 p.m. Thursday before stopping to pick up food for her and her mother.
She then drove to Hoover and called 911 at 9:30 p.m. to report the missing child wandering along Interstate 459.
After calling 911, Russell called her brother-in-law to tell her she was going to check on the child. At 9:36 PM, the family member cut off contact with him but the line remained open.
Responding officers found Russell’s abandoned car and her cell phone, her purse, wig and Apple Watch in a nearby area, but no sign of her or the child.
When officers arrived at the location, they found Russell’s car, along with her cell phone, purse, wig and Apple Watch in the area nearby – but Russell and the child were nowhere to be seen.
A witness reported possibly seeing a gray vehicle and a man standing outside Carly’s vehicle, but police said they had no additional information.
‘And then he heard our daughter Carly screaming, and from there we heard noises… background noise on her phone, which we later found out was noise from the interstate,’ said her mother, Talitha Russell (left).
Hoover police have not received any other calls about a small child missing.
Lt. Daniel Lowe said a witness may have seen a gray vehicle and a man standing outside Curley’s car, but they did not have additional information.
Detectives are currently investigating the incident and are asking for the public’s help in locating Russell.
Russell is described as a 5-foot-4, 150 pound black female and was last seen wearing a black shirt, black pants and white Nike sneakers.
Lowe said police are investigating all possibilities in the disappearance.
‘We’re certainly not putting anything off the table,’ he said when asked if investigators believe he was abducted.
‘No information is too small in this investigation,’ Lowe said at a presser on Friday.
Russell is described as a 5-foot-4, 150 pound black female and was last seen wearing a black shirt, black pants and white Nike sneakers.
Family members held an inquest on Friday. Anyone with information should contact Detective Brad Fountain at 205-444-7562, Sergeant Drew Mims at 205-739-7274 or Crimestoppers of Metro Alabama at 205-254-7777
Family members also organized a search in the area.
“We’re just going to rock the world,” Russell’s father, Carlos Russell, told WVTM. ‘We have no inhibitions.’
An anonymous donor has offered a $20,000 reward for Russell’s safe return, and another $5,000 reward is available through Crime Stoppers.
The Hoover Police Department said it is partnering with many local, state and federal partners in the investigation and is ‘grateful for the support of the local and law enforcement community.’
Police said they will continue to provide periodic updates on Twitter to relay any immediate information to the public.
‘We ask our community to keep the Russell family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time,’ Lowe said.
Detectives are currently investigating the incident and are asking for the public’s help in locating Russell. Police said an anonymous donor offered a $20,000 reward for Russell’s safe return, and another $5,000 reward is available through Crime Stoppers.
The Hoover Police Department said it is partnering with many local, state and federal partners in the investigation and is ‘grateful for the support of the local and law enforcement community.’
Talitha Russell said she last spoke to her daughter around 9:18 p.m. Thursday when she left Tajiki’s to pick up food and head home.
Talitha Russell said the last time she spoke to her daughter was at 9:18 p.m. Thursday when she was leaving Tajiki to pick up food and heading home.
Talitha Russell told WSAZ, ‘We’re trusting God, we’re staying positive, we’re not letting any negative thoughts enter our minds, so all we’re doing is trusting God, trusting God that our daughter will be brought home safely.’
She’s known for being supportive and has a big heart,’ Talitha Russell said of her daughter.
‘And he knows not to stop for anyone… I think he let his guard down thinking they were too close. And when he got out of the car, he said to my daughter-in-law, ‘I can’t leave this little baby on the side of the road.’
Groups of families and volunteers fanned out across town to hand out flyers
Carly’s wig was left at the scene of her disappearance. Her mother posted a picture of what her daughter looks like without the wig in braids
Russell’s parents are appealing for information to come forward
According to Russell, she works part-time at The Woodhouse Day Spa and attends Jefferson State Community College, AL, where she is studying to become a registered nurse.
According to the outlet, she has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from AUM.
Jefferson State released a statement Friday saying the school is ‘extremely concerned’ for Russell’s safety.
Angela Harris, the mother of Anya Blanchard, a 19-year-old who went missing in 2019 before being found dead, joined the search Friday.
Harris said that while teams of volunteers spread across the city to hand out flyers, they are limited because there is ‘no place to search’.
‘It is most disappointing,’ he told Awami League. “I told the family, go wherever you feel you need to go.”
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