Opinion: Unraveling the Web of Lies of the Carlee Russell case

Los Angeles — The nation is puzzled and disturbed regarding the case of Carlee Russell, a 25-year-old Black woman who mysteriously disappeared on July 13 in Hoover, Alabama after she claimed she witnessed the abduction of a male toddler that she reported immediately in a 911 call. Russell did her duty as any diligent bystander would to report that lone child who was seen in a diaper on the side of a busy highway in the night then was seemingly captured herself in an area known for human trafficking. Now, nearly two weeks later, it was confirmed that the abduction was a hoax and that charges may be filed against Russell. 

Currently, this whole story is a mess due to so many hot button issues inside of it like race, abduction, mental health and human trafficking.

Many Black women have gone missing with very few people gaining the spotlight for them to gain help. Due to this reason, when Russell disappeared, there was a grassroots movement on Twitter to get the word out and save her. Now that she made it all up, it feels like she not only embarrassed and disrespected herself, her loved ones, but also the whole community that rallied around for her safe return. Some have compared this to the 2019 Jussie Smollett case, where the “Empire” actor lied about being assaulted by a group of white men. What causes more anxiety is that in this very politically divided time, many bad faith actors may use this hoax to disprove other real disappearances. 

According to this study by Zach Sommers shows that Black people are very underrepresented in the population of missing persons who received coverage even though around 40% of people who go missing are people of color. Due to this, a new foundation known as the “Black and Missing Foundation” was created to bring light to cases that could be under-represented by the media, co-created by Derrica Wilson and Natalie Wilson in 2008.

A search ensued to find Russell for two days that lasted from July 13-15. Her family and friends were panicking. On July 15, the Hoover 911 center received a call from where Russell resided and was informed that she returned home on foot. Concerned, Russell was transported by the Hoover Fire department to the UAB Hospital to be evaluated and was treated for any harm then later released. This should be a happy resolution, but then the focus shifts to the toddler’s whereabouts. It is this moment that branches off and sends everyone through a web of confusion and lies. According to forensic psychiatrist, Carole Lieberman, there was also the revelation that she had a bad day due to getting caught stealing at work and flunking her nursing course. This made her nervous and scared to return home which would have been the incident to make her create the false disappearance.  

Maybe this was a mental health issue and while she tried to call for attention, it was the wrong way to do it. Mental health, while being currently destigmatized, is still heavily taboo in the Black community and the pressures put on Black women by systemic issues and the feeling of having to be more extraordinary just to survive and gain respect. I hope that Russell gets the help she needs. While this was a terrible mistake she has committed, I hope that she can find peace in her life and move on from this.

Zipporah Pruitt, (she/her) is an L.A. homegrown journalist, who covers entertainment and culture. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @zippzapps.

Edited by Nykeya Woods