How to Rob the Nation

A wig, some takeout, an Apple Watch, a phone, a hat, and AirPods. These were the items left on the side of an Alabama highway alongside Carlee Russell’s red Mercedes which was still running; it’s hazard lights blazing in the dark of the night.

Carlee Russell, a 25 year old nursing student in Alabama, pulled over on the side of the highway when she claimed she saw a small child walking along the side of the road; clad in a white t-shirt and diaper (sans any pants). She called 911 to report the child and pulled over. She then called her family to recount the situation and told them she was going to approach the child. The last thing her family heard on the call was a scream. The line remained open until the police arrived.

For the next 49 hours, the entire nation was gripped by the whereabouts of the young woman. Where was she? Where was the child? Did someone take the young woman and use the child as bait to get her to pull over?

Thousands of dollars were spent in the search for Carlee. Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama, an organization dedicated to solving and preventing crime, raised $63,378 in reward money dedicated to bringing Carlee home.

Hours of air time on television was dedicated to the coverage of the case. Social media was brimming with posts about her disappearance. Comment sections were flooding with prayers, messages of strength, and speculation on Carlee’s whereabouts.

There were search parties, local law enforcement agency involvement, and even higher-level agency involvement. It was clear that the search for Carlee lacked nothing.

Carlee was found July 15th, 49 hours after she went missing. However, it wasn’t thanks to the news coverage or law enforcement efforts. Carlee came on her own.

According to Fox 5 Atlanta, Carlee claims she “was taken by a red-haired man who came out of the trees when she stopped to check on the child, put her in a car and an 18-wheel truck, blindfolded her and held at a home where a woman fed her cheese crackers… [and] managed to escape and run through the woods to her neighborhood.”

Carlee makes a miraculous journey to her home where she knocks on the door and is received by her family. Her family is grateful to see her alive although she is unresponsive and in poor condition; traumatized by what allegedly happened.

The nation rejoices at her safe arrival but not without remarks of what a remarkable story her safe return was; some were understandably skeptical.

The skepticism grew when the local police department failed to update the public on the status of the child Carlee allegedly saw on the side of the road or a potential kidnapper on the loose. People believed that if there was either one of those still out in society, the public needed to know so that they might be more careful. After all, we had descriptions of both the child and the alleged kidnapper.

Why was there not a search being conducted or announcements made for them?

Because they don’t exist. They never did.

In the days leading up to Carlee’s “abduction”, she made several questionable Google searches. Among them were things like “do you have to pay for an Amber Alert?”. Just a few hours before Carlee’s fake abduction, she researched the movie Taken, a movie about a kidnapping.

To make matters worse, the very day Carlee went missing, she stole a bathrobe, a roll of toilet paper, and cash from her workplace which at the time (she’s since been fired) was a spa.

She then also went to Target to purchase Cheez-Its and granola bars.

The embarrassing thing for Carlee? She wasn’t very clever with the preparations for her fake kidnapping. Police arrived on the scene within 5 minutes of the 911 call and while there was no Carlee; there also weren’t any of the items she stole or bought. To translate: she was well prepared for wherever she was and whatever she was doing during the 49 hours she was “missing” with snacks, cash, and a bathrobe she took with her.

Weird things to take with you when going to make sure a child in the side of the highway is okay, right?

On July 28th, Carlee was charged with two false reporting misdemeanor charges. She smiles in her mugshot; ironic considering her regretful and sorrowful statement to the public admitting it was all a hoax just a few days prior. Carlee admits, through her attorney, that there was no baby and that there was no kidnapping. She asks for “prayers” and forgiveness” and apologizes to law enforcement, those searching for her, her family, and her community.

It is unclear why Carlee felt compelled to fabricate such an elaborate narrative. “Why?” is perhaps the biggest question in the case of Ms. Russell. As for the question of “what now?”, we will have to wait and see if Carlee is indeed convicted of her crimes and what her sentence would be if she is. However, with the overwhelming amount of evidence, it is most probable that she will be convicted.

One thing is for certain however, Carlee robbed the nation. Carlee robbed Americans that are actually missing of news coverage that could have been designated to helping find them. Carlee robbed us of our time and emotions. For the 49 hours she was missing, the nation was plagued with thumbs tired of scrolling anxiously for updates. Carlee robbed not only the government of thousands of dollars dedicated to finding missing people but also innocent Americans eager to donate their hard-earned money.

The financial implications involved in the search for a missing person are certainly no joke. According to the New York Post, “the cost of the investigation… likely surpasses $100,000.”

And the worst part is that Carlee may or may not be required to pay back the money. And if she is required to pay it back, it would likely only be a portion.

In case you do want to rob the nation dry Russell-style, here’s a few key lessons so you do it better than Carlee did:

-Don’t reveal your plan via your digital footprint. AKA: when faking your own kidnapping, don’t Google things that someone unsuspecting of their imminent abduction would never Google.

-Don’t craft a story reminiscent of the imagination of a 6-year-old child.

-If you do get caught: don’t smile in your mugshot. The nation will hate you even more.

But probably the biggest lesson: don’t rob the nation. You’ll get caught.