Police have said that they have found no evidence of a lone toddler walking by the roadside the night Carlee Russell mysteriously vanished for 49 hours after calling 911.
As previously reported, Russell went missing last Thursday (July 13) at around 9:35PM on the side of a busy highway in Hoover, Alabama, after leaving Target.
The 25-year-old woman - who is a nursing student - called cops to report that she had spotted a child "on the side of I-459" at 9:34PM and went over to help them - but disappeared shortly after. Her car was found open, with all her belongings inside it.
Russell also informed them that she believed the alleged toddler to be around three to four years old, before hanging up the phone. She then called her brother’s girlfriend while she went over to help the child, and that's when things took a terrifying turn.
Her mom, Talitha Robinson-Russell, told AP: "My son's girlfriend heard her asking the child, 'Are you OK?' She never heard the child say anything but then she heard our daughter scream." She explained that following this, all that could be heard was background noise from the interstate.
Police officers arrived on the scene five minutes after being dispatched and found the young woman's wig, cell phone, and purse along the roadway, with an Apple watch located inside the bag.
They revealed that the snacks she'd purchased from a Target on nearby Highway 280 weren't found inside her car or beside her phone and wig found at the scene of her disappearance.
Her anxious mother told WVTM-TV that she believed the young boy had been placed there as "bait" to lure a good samaritan out of their vehicle.
The mystery surrounding the nursing student's disappearance continues after she suddenly turned up at the home she shares with her mom and dad at 10:45PM on Saturday (July 15).
The police and fire department were told that Russell returned home "on foot," just over 49 hours after she disappeared. They then transported her to a hospital, where she was treated and later released. Reports also stated that she had been "dropped off" at the home and "appeared to be in shock".
As the investigation into her disappearance is still ongoing, law enforcement has disclosed that they found no proof to back up the claim of a child wandering along I-459.
"The Hoover Police Department has not located any evidence of a toddler walking down the interstate, nor did we receive any additional calls about a toddler walking down the interstate, despite numerous vehicles passing through that area as depicted by the traffic camera surveillance video," the cops said in a press release.
In addition to this, police have shared that they are yet to conduct a full interview with Russell, explaining that they are "waiting for her to be made available to obtain a more detailed statement about the sequence of events during that timeframe."
Furthermore, the department has revealed that it plans to release more information at a press conference scheduled for 2:30PM local time on Wednesday (July 19).
