Carlee Russell’s Google Searches on Phone Data Fuels Staged Kidnapping Hoax Conspiracy Theory

Did Carlee Russell fake getting kidnapped as a hoax? The woman who claimed she was taken by a man with orange hair while trying to help a baby walking down the road has been put on blast by social media users who suspect she made up the whole story.

Carlee Russell, 24, reported to the Hoover Police Department (HPD) that she was abducted on July 13th around 2:30 p.m. near the intersection of Highway 150 and South Shades Crest Road. She said she saw a baby walking on the interstate and decided to check on him. As she approached the child, a man with orange hair jumped out from behind the trees and grabbed her. He then forced her into an 18-wheeler truck and drove away.

Carlee Russell Claimed Nude Pictures of Her Were Taken by Her Kidnappers

Russell said she managed to escape from the truck, but was captured again by the kidnapper and another man. She said they blindfolded her, and brought her to a house where they made her undress and took nude pictures of her. She said she was finally able to escape on foot, and ran through the woods until she reached her home.

The HPD issued an Amber Alert for Russell and launched a massive search operation involving multiple agencies and helicopters. They found her car abandoned on the interstate, with all her belongings inside except some items she purchased from Target and some stuff from her place of work.

However, during a press conference on July 15th, the HPD revealed some information that they allegedly found while investigating Russell’s phone data that raised doubts about her credibility.

Does Google Search Phone Data Prove Carlee Russell Faked Getting Kidnapped as a Hoax?

According to the HPD, Russell googled several suspicious queries before and on the day of her disappearance.

On July 11th, she searched for “do you have to pay for amber alerts or search”. On July 13th the day she was allegedly kidnapped, she searched for “how to steal money out a cash register without getting caught”, “Birmingham bus station”, “one way bus ticket from Birmingham to Nashville”, and also a search for “the movie Taken”.

Why Was Carlee Russell the Only One Who Reported a Baby Walking on the Highway?

The HPD also said that Russell’s 911 call was the only report of a child walking on the interstate despite the fact that it was a busy area with many vehicles passing through. In addition, they said they never found any evidence that there actually was a child walking down the road.

The HPD said they are still investigating the case, and have not charged Russell with any crime yet. They said they are trying to determine if Russell was involved in any criminal activity or if she had any mental health issues.

The HPD’s revelations sparked a backlash from social media users and conspiracy theorists who accused Carlee Russell of lying about being kidnapped, and wasting police resources. Some compared her to Jussie Smollett, the actor who allegedly staged a hate crime against himself in 2019.