The parents of Carlee Russell shared their thoughts on what they have endured in the past few days. Talitha Robinson-Russell and Carlos Russell discussed the ordeal during an interview with “Today.”
Carlos revealed that Carlee remains traumatized after her mysterious disappearance.
He said she struggled with “bad dreams” and “moments where some things make her cringe, afraid,” including loud noises. “Just different things that trigger,” he said.
When Carlee returned home, Talitha said that she appeared distraught. We tried to hug her as best we could, but I had to stand back because she was not in a good state,” she said.
However, her parents could not share details of what occurred during her disappearance because an investigation is pending. They said police have “spoken to Carlee once and are following up on that information, however we are not able to publicly share the details from our initial interview.”
Talitha also said the Carlee and their family are dealing with people who are making false allegations about what she endured.
“She’s having to deal with the trauma of people just making completely false allegations about her,” Talitha said.
Last week, Russell, a nursing student, was driving home after work and called 911 after seeing a toddler walking alone in the dark on I-459. After calling 911, Russell reportedly stopped and checked on the child. While speaking to her brother’s girlfriend on her cell phone, Russell reportedly began screaming before going silent.
When police arrived on the scene, Russell’s car’s engine was still on, but she was no where to be found. Her phone was on the ground, along with her wig. Her purse and Apple watch were both in the car.
Authorities looked over footage from the interstate’s camera and spoke with several witnesses. One truck diver told police that a tall man was near Russell’s car and speaking with her.
The search for Russell continued on Thursday and Friday and social media users shared her photos online. Activist Tamika Mallory and actress Viola Davis called for more media attention to be dedicated to Russell’s investigation.
On the night of July 15, Russell returned by foot to her parent’s home located in Hoover, Alabama, a town located outside of Birmingham.
She was immediately rushed to UAB Hospital.
Following Russell’s return, her boyfriend Thomar Simmons revealed on Instagram that she had been fighting for her life for 48 hours.
“She was literally fighting for her life for 48 hours,” Simmons wrote. “So until she’s physically and mentally stable again, she is not able to give any updates or whereabouts on her kidnapper at this very moment.”
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