Current:Home > Contact-usAppeal canceled, plea hearing set for Carlee Russell, woman who faked her own abduction-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Appeal canceled, plea hearing set for Carlee Russell, woman who faked her own abduction
View Date:2024-12-23 21:05:39
Carlethia "Carlee" Russell, the Alabama woman who sparked a nationwide hunt after faking her own disappearance, will not receive a state trial to appeal her conviction.
Russell initially went "missing" on July 13 and returned home two days later on July 15. After an ongoing police investigation, Russell admitted through her attorney on July 24 that she had never been abducted or missing and the entire incident was a hoax.
Russell, 26, pleaded not guilty to charges of false reporting to law enforcement authorities and falsely reporting an incident in October. She was later found guilty by Municipal Judge Brad Bishop, who recommended that Russell spend a year in jail and pay fines totaling nearly $20,000.
Russell had a state trial to appeal the conviction set for March 18, with her legal team saying jail time wasn't warranted.
But on Thursday, Jefferson County Circuit Judge David Carpenter ordered the state trial removed from the docket, reported AL.com. Instead, a plea hearing is now set for March 21.
Russell’s attorney, Emory Anthony, did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment Friday
Carlee Russell investigation:What happens next? Police say they're still on the case.
Carlee Russell abduction hoax
Russell initially went "missing" on July 13 after calling police from a Birmingham suburb to report “a male toddler in a diaper” on the side of Interstate 459 South, as previously reported by USA TODAY. She told the operator she was "stopping to check on him,” and then called a family friend to inform them of the situation.
The family friend heard her scream during the call and then lost contact with Russell. The Hoover Police Department arrived on the scene roughly five minutes later to find Russell's wig, cell phone and purse with an Apple Watch inside on the roadway near her empty vehicle. There was no sign of Russell or a child.
Police quickly launched a search for the woman, with local, state and federal authorities getting involved. The case drew national attention as people across the country kept up with news of the search.
Carlee Russell returns home, admits she wasn't kidnapped
Russell returned home on July 15 and allegedly "gave detectives her statement so that they can continue to pursue her abductor," Talitha Russell, Carlee's mother, told TODAY on July 18. Carlee's mother and father told reporters that their daughter had indeed been abducted and that the perpetrator was still at large.
Police continued to investigate until July 24, when police read a statement from Russell's lawyer at a press conference, confirming that Russell had never actually been missing. The statement said she acted alone in pulling off the deceit. She apologized to the community, searchers, police and her family for her "mistake."
"The sad thing is ... there were so many people that were involved ... took this thing very seriously," the statement read. "It is what it is."
Neither Russell nor her attorney have provided a public explanation for why she faked the abduction.
veryGood! (7483)
Related
- Eva Longoria Shares She and Her Family Have Moved Out of the United States
- Voter turnout plunges below 30% in Hong Kong election after rules shut out pro-democracy candidates
- Fatal stabbing of Catholic priest in church rectory shocks small Nebraska community he served
- Former NHL player, coach Tony Granato reveals cancer diagnosis
- Halle Berry Rocks Sheer Dress She Wore to 2002 Oscars 22 Years Later
- Social Media Affects Opinions, But Not the Way You Might Think
- Zelenskyy will address the US military in Washington as funding for Ukraine’s war runs out
- Malaysian leader appoints technocrat as second finance minister in Cabinet shuffle
- Nicole Kidman Reveals the Surprising Reason for Starring in NSFW Movie Babygirl
- AP PHOTOS: At UN climate talks in Dubai, moments between the meetings
Ranking
- FBI raids New York City apartment of Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan, reports say
- Russia says it will hold presidential balloting in occupied regions of Ukraine next year
- Arizona remains at No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports men's basketball poll
- Hilary Duff Pays Tribute to Lizzie McGuire Producer Stan Rogow After His Death
- New Pentagon report on UFOs includes hundreds of new incidents but no evidence of aliens
- Vanderpump Rules Season 11 Trailer Teases Another Shocking Hookup Scandal
- The mother of imprisoned drug lord Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán is reported dead in Mexico
- Zelenskyy will arrive on Capitol Hill to grim mood as Biden’s aid package for Ukraine risks collapse
Recommendation
-
Lou Donaldson, jazz saxophonist who blended many influences, dead at 98
-
After losing Houston mayor’s race, US Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee to seek reelection to Congress
-
Texas prosecutors drop murder charges against 2 of 3 people in fatal stabbing of Seattle woman
-
This Is Not A Drill! Abercrombie Is Having A Major Sale With Up to 50% Off Their Most Loved Pieces
-
Massive dust storm reduces visibility, causes vehicle pileup on central California highway
-
Sarah McLachlan celebrates 30 years of 'Fumbling' with new tour: 'I still pinch myself'
-
A jury decided Google's Android app store benefits from anticompetitive barriers
-
How to watch The Game Awards 2023, the biggest night in video gaming