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Coverage dated July 23, 2023 to July 27, 2023

Authorities charge Carlee Russell for faked kidnapping, toddler

Headline from WWL New Orleans, on the newest of 2 developments

Authorities in Alabama say they have filed criminal charges against Carlee Russell who confessed to faking a story that she was kidnapped

WWL New Orleans's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Developments in this update

2 dated developments, oldest first, newest marked. Each is named by one outlet's own headline; open its reports to see every outlet that covered it.

  1. Carlee Russell admits kidnapping and baby were a hoax, asks for forgiveness

    Headline from Newsweek ·

  2. Newest

    Authorities charge Carlee Russell for faked kidnapping, toddler

    Headline from WWL New Orleans ·

1 report not tied to one development ·

Read the reports

Reports & sources

68 articles, oldest first.

  1. The Guardian

    Carlee Russell admits she wasn’t abducted and didn’t see child on road (opens The Guardian)

    Published

    The Guardian's feed description

    Alabama woman could face charges for fabricating story, police say, as they try to determine where she was for two days

  2. Newsweek

    Carlee Russell admits kidnapping and baby were a hoax, asks for forgiveness (opens Newsweek)

    Published

    Newsweek's feed description

    Russell's attorney sent a statement to the Hoover Police Department on behalf of his client, in which Russell said her kidnapping story was a "mistake."

  3. Washington Examiner

    Carlee Russell investigation: Alabama police seek to charge woman who lied about abduction (opens Washington Examiner)

    Published

    Washington Examiner's feed description

    Alabama police are pursuing two criminal charges against Carlee Russell, the nursing student who admitted to lying about being abducted.

  4. WWL New Orleans

    Authorities charge Carlee Russell for faked kidnapping, toddler (opens WWL New Orleans)

    Published

    WWL New Orleans's feed description

    Authorities in Alabama say they have filed criminal charges against Carlee Russell who confessed to faking a story that she was kidnapped

  5. FOX 5 DC

    Carlee Russell of Alabama charged with two misdemeanors for kidnapping hoax (opens FOX 5 DC)

    Published

    FOX 5 DC's feed description

    Carlee Russell could face multiple misdemeanor charges that carry a maximum punishment of a year in jail.

  6. KTVZ Bend

    Carlee Russell turned herself in and has been charged with falsely reporting an incident (opens KTVZ Bend)

    Published

    KTVZ Bend's feed description

    By Alisha Ebrahimji, Zoe Sottile and Rebekah Riess, CNN (CNN) — Carlee Russell, the Alabama woman who admitted to staging her own kidnapping and triggering a 49-hour-long search, turned herself in and has been charged with making false reports.

  7. WHAS Louisville

    Authorities charge Carlee Russell after she admitted to fabricating story about kidnapping, finding toddler (opens WHAS Louisville)

    Published

    WHAS Louisville's feed description

    Russell told detectives she had been abducted and forced into a vehicle. Her attorney later said she made the story up.

  8. Newsweek

    Police chief "appalled" Carlee Russell charges aren't more severe (opens Newsweek)

    Published

    Newsweek's feed description

    Russell turned herself in to police in Hoover, Alabama, on Friday after admitting that she lied about being kidnapped.

  9. New York Post

    Carlee Russell grins in mugshot after being charged in kidnapping hoax, cops still have no clue where she went (opens New York Post)

    Published

    New York Post's feed description

    The 26-year-old nursing student has been hit with charges after telling police she was abducted by a white man who held her captive for two days before she was able to escape.

  10. FOX 4 Dallas

    Carlee Russell of Alabama charged with two misdemeanors for kidnapping hoax, public frustrated (opens FOX 4 Dallas)

    Published

    FOX 4 Dallas's feed description

    Carlee Russell could face multiple misdemeanor charges that carry a maximum punishment of a year in jail.

  11. New York Post

    Carlee Russell faces possible charges that could land her in jail for kidnap hoax (opens New York Post)

    Published

    New York Post's feed description

    Police are seeking to charge Carlee Russell with two crimes that could land her behind bars for a year over her hoax about being abducted after reporting a diaper-clad toddler roaming on a highway.

  12. 6ABC Philadelphia

    Carlee Russell charged with making false statements to Alabama police in 'hoax' disappearance (opens 6ABC Philadelphia)

    Published

    6ABC Philadelphia's feed description

    Carlee Russell, the Alabama woman who made a 911 call to report a toddler walking along the highway and then vanished for 49 hours, turned herself in to authorities Friday.

  13. FOX 61 Hartford

    Police file criminal charges against Carlee Russell for fabricating story about her abduction (opens FOX 61 Hartford)

    Published

    FOX 61 Hartford's feed description

    Russell told detectives she had been abducted and forced into a vehicle. Her attorney later said she made the story up.

  14. Wyoming Public Media

    Carlee Russell is charged with kidnapping hoax (opens Wyoming Public Media)

    Published

    Wyoming Public Media's feed description

    It remains unclear why the 25-year-old Alabama nursing student fabricated a story of a stranded child and why she went missing for two days.

  15. NBC News

    Carlee Russell charged in connection with kidnapping hoax (opens NBC News)

    Published

    NBC News's feed description

    The 25-year-old nursing student initially told police that she had been abducted in the time she was missing. Her attorney later sent a letter saying her claims were false.

  16. Forbes

    Carlee Russell Charged With Two Misdemeanors After Faking Own Abduction (opens Forbes)

    Published

    Forbes's feed description

    Russell admitted through her attorney earlier this week that she had fabricated a story of her own abduction.

  17. ABC 7 Los Angeles

    Carlee Russell charged with making false statements to police in 'hoax' disappearance (opens ABC 7 Los Angeles)

    Published

    ABC 7 Los Angeles's feed description

    Carlee Russell, who told police she was kidnapped after she went missing, was arrested and charged with two misdemeanors for making false statements to police.

  18. KHOU Houston

    Authorities charge Alabama woman Carlee Russell, who admitted to making up abduction (opens KHOU Houston)

    Published

    KHOU Houston's feed description

    Russell originally told police she had stopped on the side of the road to help a toddler, but later admitted she made it up.

  19. People

    Carlee Russell Charged with 2 Misdemeanors in Kidnapping Hoax (opens People)

    Published

    People's feed description

    Carlee Russell claimed she was kidnapped after calling 911 to report a child walking on the interstate

  20. CBS News

    Carlee Russell charged by Alabama authorities for hoax report of kidnapping (opens CBS News)

    Published

    CBS News's feed description

    Carlee Russell had issued a statement through her attorney saying the kidnapping was made up.

  21. Fox5 Atlanta

    LIVE: Carlee Russell: Police to announce charges for Alabama woman's kidnapping hoax (opens Fox5 Atlanta)

    Published

    Fox5 Atlanta's feed description

    Carlee Russell could face multiple misdemeanor charges that carry a maximum punishment of a year in jail.

  22. Myarklamiss

    Carlee Russell charged with filing a false police report following kidnapping hoax (opens Myarklamiss)

    Published

    Myarklamiss's feed description

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — In a press conference held Friday afternoon, the Hoover Police Department announced that Carlee Russell had been charged with filing a false police report and filing …

  23. Jezebel

    Carlee Russell Is Arrested, Charged With 2 Misdemeanors for False Kidnapping Reports (opens Jezebel)

    Published

    Jezebel's feed description

    “Her decisions that night created panic and alarm for the citizens of our city and even across the nation," said Hoover, Alabama, Police Chief Nick Derzis.

  24. Hot Air

    Another Smollett: Carlee Russell charged in kidnapping hoax (opens Hot Air)

    Published

  25. AL.com

    Carlee Russell charged with lying to Hoover police in faked I-459 kidnapping (opens AL.com)

    Published

    AL.com's feed description

    Russell, who just turned 26, was charged with false reporting to law enforcement authorities and falsely reporting an incident.

Showing the first 25 of 32 headlines. ·

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.

Authorities charge Carlee Russell for faked kidnapping, toddler | Since Then