Carlee Russell, Alabama woman who faked her own kidnapping, pleads guilty to charges and avoids jail time

Carlee Russell, the Alabama woman who admitted to faking her own kidnapping last year, apologized in court Thursday after pleading guilty to two misdemeanor charges of making a false police report.

Carlee Russell, the Alabama woman who admitted to faking her own kidnapping last year, apologized in court Thursday after pleading guilty to two misdemeanor charges of making a false police report. “I made a grave mistake while trying to fight through various emotional issues and stress,” Russell, 26, said inside a Bessemer courtroom during her sentencing. “I am extremely remorseful for the panic, fear, and various range of negative emotions that were experienced across the nation,” she said. “I want to specifically acknowledge and take accountability for the pain and embarrassment that I inflicted upon my family, my church family, friends, neighbors, community, and all those who were directly involved in search efforts for me.” She was sentenced to one year of supervised probation, 100 hours of community service and $17,974.88 in restitution to the city of Hoover, Alabama. Russell acknowledged she is receiving mental health counseling and was told by the judge to continue the counseling as a condition of her probation. Russell captured the nation’s attention when she mysteriously disappeared in July 2023 after calling 911 to report a child walking along a highway. Officers arrived at the site and found her vehicle and personal items, but Russell was nowhere to be found. After a nearly 49-hour police search, Russell returned home and said she had been abducted, held hostage and escaped her captors.