"She was literally fighting for her life": Carlee Russell's boyfriend speaks out as missing Alabama woman reappears at parent's home

Carlethia Carlee Russell, a 25-year-old woman from Alabama, went missing after she contacted the authorities to report that she spotted an unattended child on the side of Interstate 459 in Alabama on July 12, 2023. The authorities claim to have reached the site within five minutes, only to find no traces of Carlee or the child. They found Carlee's car empty along with some of her belongings.

At around 10:44 pm on Saturday, July 15, 2023, the police were made aware that Carlee Russell had returned home on foot and was safe. She was taken for a medical examination by the authorities. Carlee's boyfriend, Thomas Simmons, in a social media post, mentioned that Carlee had been kidnapped and wrote:

“She was literally fighting for her life for 48 hours, so until she’s physically & mentally stable again she is not able to give any updates or whereabouts on her kidnapper at this very moment”

The investigation into the incident is currently ongoing.

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Carlee Russell's family asked for privacy during this difficult time

Carlee Russell went missing after she reported an unattended child walking along the Interstate. She allegedly called a family member shortly after but abruptly stopped talking even though the line remained active. As per authorities, one witness claimed to have seen a grey vehicle with a male of light complexion standing near Carlee's vehicle.

Speaking about Carlee's alleged abduction and the toll that it has taken on her, her boyfriend Thomas Simmons took to social media and stated that she was "fighting for her life." He mentioned that he was committed to looking for her ever since the news of her disappearance came to light and wrote:

"I have been going nonstop since I received the call that she was missing on Thursday night. I know she would’ve done the same for me, so I wasn’t going to give up until I saw her face again!"

He continued:

"I was straight tunnel vision, even when I would get on social media on my downtime & see some of the false allegations & assumptions about me having something to do with her abduction would have me discouraged at times, but I didn’t give up & kept my faith!"

Meanwhile, Carlee Russell's family has appealed to the general public to give them space to deal with the harrowing events that they have had to navigate. After promising to provide more information about the case in the foreseeable future, Talitha Russell, Carlee's mother, said in a social media post:

“Just as we made a commitment to not entertain negative thoughts during the time our daughter was missing, we surely will not entertain negative thoughts/statements, unvalidated opinions, or sheer ignorance at such a joyous time.”

After Carlee Russell returned home, the authorities took her to the UAB hospital. Additional details that Carlee may have revealed to the authorities have not been released yet. The police have mentioned that the information is part of an ongoing investigation and shall be released as and when necessary.