Alabama woman who disappeared after reporting child on highway returns home after two days of search

HOVER, Alabama. — (FloridaToday.news) — A 25-year-old Alabama woman returned home late Saturday night after a two-day search by police and family members who reported her missing after she stopped to check on a child who was walking down the highway.

Police said Carletia “Carly” Nicole Russell has returned to the home she shares with her parents in Hoover, AL.com told late Saturday night.

Hoover police chief Nick Derzis said Russell arrived home alone and was taken to the hospital for an examination, AL.com reported.

Russell’s whereabouts weren’t immediately clear, as around 10:45 p.m. Thursday, when she called 911 and a family member to say she saw a small child walking along the side of Interstate 459.

Police found Russell’s car and her mobile phone, but were unable to locate her or the child in the area.

Hoover Police Lieutenant Daniel Lowe said a family member on the phone with Russell lost contact with her, although the line remained open. The only witness reported that he may have seen a gray car and a man standing outside Carly’s car, but they had no further information.

Police asked people to come forward with any information they might have about her disappearance, and family members organized a search of the area.

Talita Russell told AL.com that her daughter was heading home, about 10 miles (16 km) south of Birmingham, after leaving work and stopping to eat. She was on the phone with her brother’s girlfriend when she said she saw a child on the side of the road.

“My son’s girlfriend heard her asking the child, ‘Are you okay?’ She never heard the baby say anything, but then she heard our daughter scream,” Talita Russell said. “From there, all you hear on her phone is background noise from the Interstate.”

Police said there were two separate rewards of $20,000 and $5,000 for information that would help Russell’s safe return at the time of the search, police said.

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