(Hoover, AL) — New details are coming out about a woman who went missing after reporting seeing a toddler walking alone alongside a highway in Alabama and then reappearing two days later.
Police told reporters on Wednesday that Carlee Russell claims a man jumped out of a tree and abducted her when she went to check on the child.
They have been unable to verify her story after investigating and reviewing surveillance footage. Police also say the 25-year-old’s search history shows that she looked up times for a bus trip to Nashville, Tennessee, information on Amber Alerts, and the film “Taken” before the incident.
Despite the update of Russell, remember, according to Black & Missing Foundation, nearly 40% of missing persons are people of color, mainly African American.
Derrica Wilson, Co-Founder of the Black & Missing Foundation, suggests getting rid of the 24-hour waiting period and for newsrooms to create a system to help spread coverage amongst all races equally. The organization started a billboard campaign in 16 cities, including D.C., to celebrate 15 years of work in May.
Anyone can look up who is missing in their community by visiting bamfi.org.
