Officials push for increased penalties after Carlee Russell hoax

The saga that left residents of Hoover, people across Alabama, and audiences worldwide gripped in the mysterious disappearance of Carlee Russell turned out to be a hoax.

Last week, Russell was charged with false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident. Each are misdemeanors carrying up to a year in jail. Russell turned herself into jail Friday and was released on bond.

Russell told investigators that she was abducted by a man who emerged from the trees while she paused to tend to a child. The man forced her into a car and then an 18-wheeler truck, after which she was blindfolded, she said. Russell claimed she was subsequently confined in a house where a woman provided her with cheese crackers for sustenance.

At the time those details were announced, officials also revealed internet searches Russell performed before her disappearance related to Amber Alerts, the movie “Taken,” and a one-way bus ticket from Birmingham to Nashville.

Some Alabama officials, including Attorney General Steve Marshall and State Sen. April Weaver, believe her current charges are a drop in the bucket compared to the toll her actions exacted on public resources.

Weaver (R-Brierfield) announced today she will introduce legislation that creates a new felony crime for faking an abduction.

“This fictitious kidnapping caused fear and shock not only throughout the legislative district I represent, but also throughout our state and nation,” Weaver said. “Individuals who concoct and carry out sham kidnappings and lead our law enforcement officers on wild goose chases must be given severe penalties for their deceptive actions.”

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall told Fox News that Russell’s actions are by no means a “victimless crime.”

“Clearly, the City of Hoover, through their police department as well as surrounding law enforcement agencies, expended significant resources to try to make sure we could locate, not only Carlee Russell, but don’t forget, the allegation involved an infant on the side of a busy highway,” Marshall said.

“You had countless individuals come out late, early, in the heat in Alabama looking for both of these individuals. One thing I don’t want to see from this is people become jaded in their response at times when their help was necessary.”

Marshall said it’s now time to recover restitution and “understand the impact on society.”

“This investigation is not over,” he told Fox. “Not only do we want to figure out what took place during that 49-hour period, which right now, there is a gap. But also, we want to know who else may have been involved and who helped perpetuate this fraud.”

Grayson Everett is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270