BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A woman who faked her own kidnapping nearly a year ago in Birmingham, Alabama, entered a guilty plea Thursday.
Carlee Russell, 26, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts for filing a false police report, WBRC reported. Russell was given a suspended six-month sentence, The Associated Press reported. This suspended sentence allows Russell to avoid any time in jail.
Russell is expected to pay around $18,000 in restitution to the city of Hoover, WIAT reported. She will also be expected to serve about 100 hours of community service. Russell will also continue her mental health counseling, WBRC reported.
Russell vanished on July 13 of last year after calling 911. She called to report that there was a toddler on the side of Interstate 459, the AP reported. She appeared back at her home about two days later, telling investigators that she was kidnapped.
Investigators had doubted her story. Her attorney later released a statement that no kidnapping took place, the AP reported. The statement also said that she never saw a toddler. Russell issued a statement apologizing to law enforcement and those who spent time searching for her.
A judge found her guilty in October of filing a false police report and falsely reporting the incident, WIAT reported. She pleaded not guilty then. At that time, she was over to pay over $15,000 and the judge recommended jail time. Her attorney claimed that they would appeal her case to a circuit court.
Russell’s disappearance initially led to nationwide panic, AL.com reported.
“I made a grave mistake while trying to fight through various emotional issues and stress,” Russell said, according to AL.com. “I absolutely regret my decision and in hindsight wish I had cried for help in a totally different manner. My prayer is that I will be extended grace and be given the opportunity to redeem who I truly am and restore the positively esteemed character that I have worked so hard to obtain for the 25 years of my life prior to this incident.”
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