What follows in the probe into Carlee Russell? The police said they are still investigating.

Carlee Russell, 25, went missing in Alabama for two days after calling 911 to report seeing a youngster on the side of an expressway. There are still many unanswered questions about what happened to her, and authorities are still looking into where she was at the time.

Near Birmingham in Hoover, Alabama, the police said they haven't been able to contact Russell since she returned on Saturday and are trying to question her further about what transpired. Police have yet to confirm many of her claims, including the existence of a toddler on the highway.

In the days before her disappearance, Russell conducted a number of "relevant" online searches about Amber Alerts, a movie about an abduction, and other topics.

Rumors and wild conjecture have been circulating on social media about Russell being kidnapped by a man with orange hair and a bald spot, as she said, without much of her tale being validated and without additional information from Russell directly. Was she experiencing a mental health crisis? Was it all a lie?

Michael Alcazar, a retired investigator from the New York Police Department and a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, asserted that "anything is possible."

The investigation will go forward with a focus on learning what transpired during the 49 hours she was missing, Hoover Police Department public relations officer Keith Czeskleba wrote in an email to USA TODAY on Thursday.

We have faith that we can accomplish this, Czeskleba remarked.Her 49-hour disappearance is still under investigation, according to Keith Czeskleba, public relations officer for the Hoover Police Department, who wrote to USA TODAY on Thursday.

Czeskleba stated, "We are optimistic that we will be able to accomplish so.

Czeskleba stated to USA TODAY, "We have not even started to tally the number of hours and resources committed to this investigation - both from our agency and other agencies as well. I don't think I've ever seen a case of a missing individual this big in my time here.

Police are probably investigating every facet of Russell's story to see if it can be corroborated, according to Alcazar, who spoke to USA TODAY. As an illustration, if he were looking into the matter, he may try to locate the 18-wheeler Russell claimed she was being detained in by looking through camera footage at rest areas and truck stops.

Police will look for witnesses who may have seen the incident or the truck, according to Alcazar. Earlier, according to police, one witness claimed to have seen a gray sedan and a man standing close to Russell's car.

The bus stations where she used the internet to look for a ticket may also be visited by investigators, who will look for her on security tape, according to Alcazar.

Alcazar expressed "doubts," but police will conduct a thorough investigation. He cited numerous odd characteristics of the case and Russell's story.

"If her story is true and they didn't do an investigation, and then there is a child missing and there is this red-headed perp, that would fall heavy on their shoulders if they didn't do their proper investigation," he said.

How did Carlee Russell fare?

Russell called 911 a week ago while traveling on the interstate between Birmingham and Hoover to report seeing a toddler crossing the road. She claimed to have stopped and was watching the child. She then called her brother's girlfriend, who said they briefly lost communication after hearing her scream.

Russell's car, phone, and some other possessions were discovered when police arrived, but neither Russell nor a child were to be located. After a thorough search, Russell showed up at her house and banged on the door two days later.

She informed the police that she had been taken there after being seized by a man, put in a car, and then placed in an 18-wheeler's trailer. She claimed that after making her escape, she was apprehended, bound, and carried to a residence. Both a male and a female voice, according to her, were audible. She was forced to remove her clothes at one point and thought photos were taken of her. She eventually managed to escape, running through the woods before emerging close to her house, and Russell later admitted to authorities that she had memory gaps.