Last week, when the strange case of Carlee Russell came to light, we suggested that it had all the classic trappings of a hoax. Well, we’re sorry to inform you that we were right.
Russell has now turned herself in to police.
The Messenger reports:
Carlee Russell Is Charged in Connection with Faked Kidnapping, Turns Herself InCarlee Russell turned herself in at a Hoover, Ala., jail after being slapped with two misdemeanors charges for faking her own kidnapping, police said Friday.Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office charged Russell, 26, with one count of false reporting to law enforcement authorities and another count of falsely reporting an incident.Russell was released after she made $2,000 bail, Hoover Alabama Police Chief Nicholas Derzis said at a press conference Friday.Both counts carry a maximum sentence of one year behind bars. If convicted on both charges, Russell, who has no criminal record and expressed remorse for the hoax, would likely serve her sentences concurrently.”Judging from the amount of phone calls and emails that we’ve received from people all over the country, I know many are shocked and appalled that Ms. Russell is only being charged with two misdemeanors despite all the panic and disruption her actions caused,” Derzis said.
Sean Davis of the Federalist suggests that she will probably get a harsher sentence than Hunter Biden, and he is probably right.
Here’s more from NBC News:
The charges carried a bond of $1,000 each and are punishable by up to a year in jail and a $6,000 fine if convicted, the chief said. Russell was released from jail after posting bond.“Her decisions that night created panic and alarm for the citizens of our city and even across the nation as concern grew that a kidnapper was on the loose using a small child as bait,” Derzis said. “The story opened wounds for families whose loved ones really were victims of kidnappings, some of which even helped organize searches.”Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said “we intend to fully prosecute this case,” adding his office will monitor the investigation for potential further charges.Marshall said while Russell wasn’t kidnapped, they “don’t see this as a victimless crime,” pointing to the “significant hours spent” and “resources expended” in the frantic search for her.
Here’s Hoover Alabama Police Chief Nicholas Derzis making a statement about the case:
What did Russell think she was going to gain from all of this?
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