Various theories about the Carlee Russell case and the Red Roof Inn are circulating on TikTok, but there is no evidence to back up the claim that she faked an abduction.
Theories about what happened to nursing student Carlee Russell when she was reported missing including claims that she may have faked an abduction have led to the local police force condemning the spread of ‘misinformation’ on social media around the case.
TikTok detectives claim Carlee Russell ‘faked’ abduction
At the time of writing on July 19, the Hoover police department has just this hour released a statement confirming that they are still looking into the specific details concerning Russell’s disappearance and that the case remains an ongoing one.
Despite this, many TikTok users are continuing to upload their theories and predictions about what may have happened to the 25-year-old during the 49 hours when she was missing between Thursday and Saturday evening last week.
A popular theory doing the rounds on TikTok suggests that Russell faked being abducted. Hoover police have confirmed that Russell disappeared within minutes of calling the emergency services from beside a Birmingham interstate on Thursday evening, and some users have taken this information and have gone as far as to suggest that they have “proof” that she faked being abducted shortly after.
Claims of faked abduction are unsubstantiated
Despite the confidence of the true crime enthusiasts who are claiming to know exactly what happened to Russell, there is no evidence to suggest that she faked an abduction.
The police were initially alerted by Russell at around 9:30pm on Thursday evening when she reported seeing a lone toddler walking near Interstate 459.
While no other sightings of the toddler were recorded, and the child has not been sighted by the police or any authorities, this does not necessarily mean that Russell was lying. There is no evidence or proof to suggest that she wasn’t telling the truth, or what she believed to be the truth.
At the time of writing, Russell has also not officially claimed that she was abducted, so the idea that she faked an abduction is unsubstantiated. All we know at this point is that she disappeared on Thursday evening, and returned to her family home on Saturday evening.
Hoover Police’s most recent statement stressed: “There are numerous rumors and misinformation making the rounds in both social media and traditional media. While we understand the public interest in this incident, we must maintain the integrity of the case”.
Carlee Russell’s Red Roof Inn call claims explained
Additional claims have been made on TikTok suggesting that several cars arrived at the Red Roof Inn, a local Birmingham hotel, on Saturday night, claiming that they had been told that Russell was staying there.
Users on Twitter even went as far as to post audio that they suggested was a recording of a 911 call made by the staff at the Red Roof alerting the police of the arrival of the people who claimed they’d heard Russell was inside.
Whilst this may have happened, the police reports have made no reference to such an incident, and the Red Roof Inn has not been mentioned in any of the official updates.
At the time of writing, the exact details of Russell’s disappearance remain unknown, though she is confirmed to be home and safe.
