Photo: Hoover Police
Carlee Russell has been found guilty of faking her own kidnapping,
On Wednesday (October 11), Hoover Municipal Court Judge Thomas Brad Bishop found Russell, 26, guilty of false reporting to law enforcement and falsely reporting an incident, two Class A misdemeanors, per AL.com.
The ruling came after Russell pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Russell made headlines in July after she suddenly disappeared following a 911 call where she reported a child walking alone on the side of the highway. The 26-year-old previously claimed she was kidnapped after getting out of her vehicle to check on the child. She returned home on foot two days after her alleged abduction.
At the time of her return, Russell's loved ones said she "was literally fighting for her life for 48 hours" and asked the public to give her grace until "she’s physically & mentally stable again."
However, Hoover police later said they could not find any evidence of the child and couldn't locate items Russell took from her job on the night of her disappearance. Authorities also revealed that Russell searched for information on Amber Alerts, bus stations, and how to take money from a register "without getting caught" just before her disappearance.
Russell ultimately admitted that she fabricated the entire situation, from the 911 call to her abduction. Russell turned herself in to the police on July 28 and later posted a $2,000 bond.
On Wednesday, the state recommended Russell face a one-year prison sentence, a fine of $831, and restitution in the amount of nearly $18,000.
Russell's attorneys said they are appealing to the circuit court.
“Restitution, we don’t disagree with that, but to lock her up and put her in jail, we disagree,’’ the attorneys said.
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