35: Carlee Russell’s Mysterious Disappearance or Highway Hoax?
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Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations. Hey, True Crime Besties. Welcome back to an all-new episode of Serialistly.

Hey everybody, welcome back to Serialistly. It's me, Annie, your true crime bestie, here to break down another wild ass true crime case for you. Today's a bonus episode. It's not in the normal release schedule, but I heard about this case, a lot of you guys have been requesting it, and so I knew I had to jump on here and break it down for you.

In the true crime world, we talk a lot about cases that have previously been solved. However, we also cover quite a bit of cases that are current and need more eyes and ears to watch and try to bring closure to families, to be a voice for the victims or to bring victims home. So recently, a new case took the media by storm. Tons of agencies were involved and it became the most highly talked about case for a solid few days.

Things weren't seeming to add up though, but many people were trying to give the benefit of the doubt and hope for justice. However, on Wednesday, July 19th, law enforcement hosted a press conference about this case that had many people wondering how something like this actually happened and why someone would create such an elaborate scene and story. So today's case, if you haven't guessed it by now, is the case of Carly Russell. Carlithia Russell, who goes by Carly, is 25 years old.

She lives in Hoover, Alabama with her parents, Talitha and Carlos, and she is a nursing student and works part-time at a spa in Birmingham, Alabama. So on the evening of Thursday, July 13th, Carly mysteriously vanished on her way home from work. Carly had just gotten off of her shift at the Woodhouse Day Spa around 8.20 p.m.

She picked up dinner for her and her mother at a nearby Mediterranean cafe called Tziki's right around 9 p.m. And then she stopped at Target to grab some snacks.

Carly spoke to her mom, Talithia, just before 9.20 p.m. Then, right after that, Carly started to drive to her home in Hoover, where she lives with her parents, Talithia and Carlos. Just about 15 minutes later, after getting off the phone with her mom at 9.34 p.m., Carly called 911, and she reported that she had seen a male toddler walking alongside the highway in a diaper and a t-shirt.

After Carly hung up with the 911 operator, she called her brother's girlfriend. This was around 9.36 p.m. She called her to let her know that she saw a young child walking on the side of the highway and that she was going to pull over to check on the child. On the other end of the phone, her brother's girlfriend heard Carly ask the child, Are you okay?

The brother's girlfriend never heard the child respond, and then all of a sudden heard Carly scream before the line went silent. The call was still active, but Carly was no longer responsive.

So police, of course, immediately showed up within just five minutes of that 911 call, and they found Carly's red Mercedes still running with the door open. Not only was her car still running, but her wig and her phone were in the grass near her car. Her Apple Watch and her AirPods were also in her purse in the car.

but Carly and that toddler were nowhere to be found. Nobody could find them. They seemingly had vanished. Police were extremely perplexed by this situation. It was extremely dark outside and on the side of a relatively busy highway, so where could they have possibly gone? Surely they didn't vanish into thin air, and surely someone had to have seen something.

So Carly's mother immediately took to social media in a Facebook post in the very early morning hours of the 14th. And in her post, she said, Whatever city you're in within four to five from Birmingham, will you please go and help search for our daughter? She's about 5'5", 150 pounds, and was last known to be on Highway 459 in Hoover. She stopped because a baby was on the side of the highway, and the person that she was on the phone with heard a scream.

A few hours later, the Hoover Police Department also made a Facebook post asking for the public's assistance in searching for Carly. And in their post, they described her as 5'4", 150 to 160 pounds, and their post stated that she was last seen wearing a black shirt, black pants, and white Nike shoes.

Not too long later, they received a single tip from a truck driver who had claimed to have seen a gray car and a tall man leaning over her car, who he described as having a light complexion and wearing khaki shorts. Not only did they receive that tip, but they also now had a surveillance clip of Carly's car on the side of the highway. But all of that wasn't much to go off of, but it was at least something, and more than they had initially started with.

and it seemed to be a good lead. The nation was now captivated by her story, a young, beautiful woman who vanished after trying to be a good Samaritan and stopping for what seemed to be like an abandoned child.

Local volunteers were searching the area, helping in any way possible, posting flyers. It was viral at this point. TikToks were flying, Instagrams were flying, everybody was talking about this case, suggesting that possibly the toddler was a ruse to lure this girl off the road for an abduction, to then be put into the smuggling of humans. I mean, it was everywhere.

And everybody's heart was broken and everybody was so concerned for Carly. This woman trying to help this toddler who's now been abducted. It was also coming off of the heels of that movie Sound of Freedom, which talks a lot about the human trade and smuggling and all of that. And everybody was going straight to that. Oh, she must have been trafficked.

I mean, you couldn't go anywhere without hearing about this story. So of course, the donations also started pouring in in this moment as the flyers were being passed out and as Carly's story took flight. So during a press conference on Saturday afternoon, law enforcement shared a small update in the case. The law enforcement office explained that the child reported to be walking along the highway also hadn't been located, nor had anyone reported a small child as missing.

The law enforcement official also mentioned the tip from that truck driver and stated that they had received a lot of tips that were all being followed up on. He explained that multiple officials on a local, state, and federal level were now involved in this case and that Carly's phone, which had also been left behind when she went missing, was being analyzed. So this was an extremely alarming and scary situation. Was the child used to lure Carly so that she could be abducted? Nobody knew.

An anonymous donor donated $25,000 to Crimestoppers as a reward for any information leading to Carly's return home. Also on Saturday, Crimestoppers tweeted the update on the total reward amount, which had then reached $58,000. This included the $20,000 from an anonymous donor and $25,000 from Keller Williams' realtor office, which is Talitha's place of employment, and also a $5,000 contribution from Crimestoppers.

There were also over $8,000 in donations that individuals had donated to the cause. But the fact remained that Carly was still gone. No one knew where she was, and this was scary, not only for her loved ones, but for people nationwide. There was hope that someone would see that dollar amount and perhaps call in a tip that would lead to Carly's safe return.

Also, on Saturday evening, a glimmer of hope appeared. There seemed to be a possibility that Carly was at a hotel called the Red Roof Inn. So people were very excited by this new information. People were airing the dispatch audio. They were glued to their screens on YouTube, wondering if an update had come in. And based on 911 dispatch audio, a staff worker had received a call from Carly's family saying that they received a call claiming that Carly was staying at the Red Roof Inn.

Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations. An official message from Medicare.

A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. Maybe you can save too. With Medicare's Extra Help program, my premium is zero and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. Go to ssa.gov slash extra help. Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Now, I'm not sure if this is true or what the exact situation was, but it's been reported that Carly's family, six carloads of people, all showed up at the Red Roof Inn and knocked on doors and looked for Carly, but she wasn't there. Allegedly, the employee at Red Roof thought that it was odd that the police weren't there and called them herself.

People seemed to be renewed with hope at the thought of it being her, and dispatch audio was being listened to and streamed by multiple creators with the hope that it was her, that she would be saved, she would be discovered. Then one of Carly's family members came out and said that this wasn't true. This obviously caused a ton of confusion, and the rumor mill was running wild. Carly was never found at the Red Roof Inn.

However, later on that night, reports started coming in that Carly had been found. And not too long after that, it was confirmed that Carly had returned home to her parents on foot by herself. Her family called law enforcement at about 10:44 p.m. on Saturday night to announce her return, 49 hours after she had gone missing. Police went to the house and Carly was then taken to the hospital by paramedics for evaluation.

Carly's return while joyous also brought in more questions than ever before. If she was kidnapped, how did she just show up at her parents' house alone? Did she escape? How close was she to be able to just walk home? More importantly, where was this toddler that she had claimed to see, and where was the alleged kidnapper? Could this be a public safety threat?

There were so many questions that had yet to be answered, but for the most part, people were just happy that Carly returned home and they were just praying that she was okay. But then there was looming speculation that maybe, just maybe, this was all a hoax. Maybe Carly wasn't kidnapped, actually. And maybe this was more like Sherry Papini, if you're familiar with that case, than any of us had initially thought.

So Carly's family released a statement shortly after she was found. And in the statement, they said, God is faithful and he has answered our prayers. We are so grateful to each of you for all of the acts of kindness, generosity, and compassion that you have shown. Our baby is safe. Thank you, Father God. We do want to ask for privacy at this time to allow us to just love on our daughter and each other with our close family and friends.

Also, please consider the fact that we have not slept for three nights and we are mentally and physically exhausted. To our media friends, I promise we will speak with you and give a general statement in the near future as this is an ongoing investigation. We consider the media outlets that cared enough to share this story, law enforcement agencies, special investigators, city leaders, to be our friends and we will be respectful of all.

For everyone that has messaged or called to rejoice with us, we are so grateful for your concern. Just as we made a commitment to not entertain negative thoughts during the time our daughter was missing, we surely will not entertain negative thoughts or statements, unvalidated opinions, or sheer ignorance at such a joyous time.

We pray that those that doubt God's power, miracles, and the power of faith will be encouraged to draw closer to him and learn the power of positive affirmations and unwavering faith. We love each of you and are eternally indebted for all of your love and support. Be blessed, the Russells.

Carly's boyfriend also released his own statement. And in this statement on Instagram, it read,

I have been going nonstop since I received the call that she was missing on Thursday night. I know she would have done the same for me, so I wasn't going to give up until I saw her face again. I was straight tunnel vision even when I would get on my social media on my downtime and see some of the false allegations and the assumptions about me having something to do with her abduction that would have discouraged me at times and I didn't give up and kept my faith.

I just want to thank all of my family, friends, former teammates, and church members who called or texted me just to let me know that they're praying and that they're here for me. You guys don't know how much that meant to me. All I ask from everyone right now is to be respectful of Carly's situation. She was literally fighting for her life for 48 hours, so until she is physically and mentally stable again, she is not able to give any updates or whereabouts on her kidnapper at this very moment."

I also want to thank the people on social media who has been understanding and respectful about what she's been through these past few days. Once again, I can't thank you guys enough for helping us bring Carly home. God bless you all. So his statement added a whole new layer of what the hell actually happened. People who already had started to doubt the validity of the kidnapping story were thrown off even more by this statement. Maybe something really did happen to Carly. Maybe this wasn't a hoax.

So on Sunday afternoon, the Hoover Police Department released a statement with more information on their timeline of her disappearance, such as when she left work, grabbed dinner, talked on the phone, etc. And in their statement, they stated that Carly had been treated and released from the hospital. They stated that they were confident that they could keep retracing Carly's steps just as they had retraced all of her steps leading up to her disappearance. They also asked for privacy for her family.

On Tuesday, Carly's family spoke out on the Today Show, and it was interesting to see Carly's parents being very tight-lipped about the investigation and then needing privacy, yet at the same time, going on national TV and doubling down on the abduction claim. That moment you all first laid eyes on her again, what was it like?

to me, I mean, just so much joy. This morning in an exclusive sit down with NBC News, the parents of 25-year-old Carly Russell are speaking out, describing the moment their daughter appeared on their doorstep after being missing for more than 48 hours. What did you do when you saw her? We tried to hug her as best we could, but I had to stand back because she was not in a good state. So we had to

stand back and let medical professionals work with her. But it's okay.

Last Thursday, police say Carly called 911 to report a toddler walking alone on the interstate. She pulled over while on the phone with a family member who described hearing Carly scream. Her vehicle is unlocked, running, all her personal belongings except for her phone. On the scene, police found no sign of Carly or a child, and they say no children were reported as missing during that time period.

The Russells waited in agony until Saturday night. There were actually just so many calls and texts from people who maliciously lied to us. I just didn't know.

People could be so evil. Authorities have not indicated where Carly was during the 48 hours she was missing or what happened. Her parents declined to share what their daughter told them, citing the ongoing investigation. And can you tell me what happened Saturday night? Did you just get a knock at the door? Anything leading to the case itself, we

We can't discuss that. But they say speculation about the circumstances surrounding Carly's disappearance are only making things worse. She's having to deal with the trauma of people just making completely false allegations about her. Her family now urging the public to let the investigation play out, but mentioning an abductor. Her mother asking to read a brief message to the public. Carly has given detectives her statement.

so that they can continue to pursue her abductor. Do you believe that there is an abductor still out there? Absolutely. Absolutely. NBC News has reached out to the Hoover Police Department to ask whether they're looking for an individual involved. Police have just said they're following up on all information provided by Carly. And when I talked to you all on Saturday, you also said your daughter is a fighter and she would find a way back to you.

I felt that in my heart. Is that what happened? She did. She found her way back to us. However, we can't discuss the details of that. But they say one thing is clear. Do you believe she was fighting for her life? Oh, she definitely fought for her life. There were moments when she physically had to fight for her life, and there were moments when she had to mentally fight for her life. But she made it back to you. She made it back.

Again, making people think, maybe this really is true. Surely people wouldn't go on national television saying the kidnapper is still out there if this was in fact a hoax. That is a bold move to make. Or...

It's maybe because they weren't privy to the information that it was a hoax. And maybe they were just loving parents who believed their daughter at face value for what she was saying. That same day, another statement was released by Hoover PD. During that statement, they told the public about the Target trip that Carly had made for snacks after she picked up her dinner.

The statement said the detectives had obtained surveillance video from Carly's neighborhood that showed her walking down the sidewalk alone prior to getting home. Initially, the dispatch audio described Carly as unresponsive but breathing. However, the police department cleared up that mistake and said that when first responders got to her home, she was conscious and speaking.

The biggest piece of information from that statement read, the police department has not located any evidence of a toddler walking down the interstate, nor did we receive any additional calls about a toddler walking down the interstate, despite numerous vehicles passing through that area as depicted by the traffic camera surveillance video.

So for many people, that sealed the deal. If there was a toddler, they firmly believed other people would have called in and said that they saw him on the side of the road. So the public was set on Carly making up the entire kidnapping plot. But law enforcement was clearly still investigating and ensuring that they would have a proper resolution. Meanwhile, her family was doubling down on national TV that the abduction did happen.

Now, around that time, there were also rumors starting to swirl about Carly possibly embezzling money from her job. At 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Carly's Place of Employment released a statement reading, In response to the many inquiries Woodhouse Spa Birmingham has received over the past several days regarding the Carly Russell case, we offer the following. Our great concern has always been the well-being of Carly and her safe return.

Woodhouse Spa employees have been deeply impacted by the events that transpired, but we are now ecstatic with the news of Carly's return home. Our employees worked extremely hard through very tough times keeping guests happy while dealing with the fact that their co-worker was missing. We've been working with the Hoover Police Department since Friday morning, the morning following Carly's disappearance, all in order to come up with any information that would help the investigation.

Everything we uncovered is in the possession of the Hoover Police Department. We understand that the investigation is in a very sensitive state, and we do not want to release any details that could jeopardize the investigation. Leaks, both true and untrue, can have a devastating impact on any investigation. We understand there are many posts on social media claiming certain information to be true. Some items are factual, while others are not.

However, on Wednesday, just a couple days ago, the Hoover Police Department announced that there would be a press conference at 2.30 p.m. And when I tell you that I was shook when I was watching it, that's an understatement.

Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy, and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

An official message from Medicare. A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. You may be able to save too. With Medicare's Extra Help program, my premium is zero and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. Go to ssa.gov slash extra help.

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Would you believe us if we told you our podcast is haunted? We didn't intend for this to happen. No, we did not. But apparently spirits like listening to ghost stories too. We bring you the creepiest, most unusual, and sometimes heartwarming encounters with the paranormal. Stories so chilling and so shocking that even the spirits can't help but hop on our mics and give us an occasional EVP. But we aren't the only haunted ones. Listeners of this podcast report increased levels of paranormal activity.

Our podcast brings all the ghosts to the yard, and hopefully it brings you too. Tune in to Two Girls, One Ghost wherever you listen to podcasts. It's the most haunted podcast in America. Very spooky. First, the detective explained all the agencies who had helped with the search, including the FBI, the Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals, and so many more. Then he got into the facts of the case. Citizens to tell them the facts that we have uncovered. So I will give you the facts that we know today.

On July 13th, at approximately 8.20 p.m., Carly left work for a business at the summit. Surveillance video from her place of employment shows Carly concealed a dark-colored bathrobe, a roll of toilet paper, and other items belonging to the business prior to her departure. She ordered food from Tziki's at the Colonnade and traveled there. She then traveled to Target on 280, where she purchased some granola bars and Cheez-Its.

From there, she remained in the parking lot at that shopping center until 9.21 p.m. when she drove to I-459. Carly communicated on her cell phone with individuals known to her while on her path of travel up to the point of calling 911 at 9.34 p.m. They then played the 911 call before discussing more facts of the case. Now, I'm not going to play the entire 911 call for you, but let me just tell you this. In it, and I will link it for you, she sounds very,

very very calm for seeing a toddler on the side of the road by themselves walking very cool very calm very collected in my opinion and then here come more facts of the case it's called report but a child is missing and the hoover police department did not locate any evidence of a small child walking down the interstate data from carly's phone including her life 360 app

shows that she traveled approximately 600 yards in her vehicle while she was on the phone with 911 stating that she was following a child. 600 yards, that is six football fields straight. 600 yards. The Hoover 911 Center received a second call from Cardi's mother stating that a relative was on the phone with her when they heard Cardi scream and then they had an open phone line.

Hoover police officers arrived on the scene within five minutes of being dispatched and several other officers arrived shortly. They located Carly's wig and cell phone in the grass near the vehicle. Her purse was located in the front seat of her vehicle with her Apple Watch in the purse. The food she ordered for Tzatziki's was also in the car. The items she purchased from Target as well as the items taken from her place of employment were not in the vehicle nor were they located anywhere around the scene.

Hoover Police deployed all available assets from the point in the search for Carly. Additional resources were called in to include our own drone unit, crime scene investigators, numerous detectives responded to the scene. Throughout the day Friday, officers from surrounded local and federal agencies assisted Hoover Police in the search for Carly Russell,

Officers returned to the scene on 459 to conduct a thorough line search for evidence. K-9 teams from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department responded to check for any sign of Carly, the child that she claimed to see, and anything else that could be considered evidence in this case. Those searches all turned up empty. Private citizens, including search parties organized by her family, friends, began looking,

everywhere that they could to find any trace. These searches took place throughout the day Friday and again on Saturday, yielding nothing. At 10:44 p.m. on July 15th, the Hoover 9-1-1 Center receives a call from Carly, a resident, stating that she returned home on foot. In subsequent investigations, detectives obtained surveillance footage of Carly walking down the sidewalk alone prior to her arrival at a residence.

She was conscious and speaking with paramedics when she was transported to UAB. Detectives were able to obtain a brief statement from her prior to being treated and released. During the statement, she told detectives that while traveling down the interstate, she saw a baby walking down the side of the road and called 911. She started when she got out of her vehicle to check on the child. A man came out of the trees and mumbled that he was checking on the baby. She claimed that the man then picked her up and she screamed.

She stated he then made her go over a fence. She claims he then forced her into a car and the next thing she remembers is being in the trailer of an 18-wheeler. She stated the male was with a female, however, she never saw the female, only hearing her voice. She also told detectives she could hear a baby crying. She told detectives the male had orange hair with a big bald spot on the back.

She said she was able to escape the 18-wheeler and fled on foot, only to be captured again and then was put in a car. She claimed she was then blindfolded but was not tied up because the captors said they did not want to leave impressions on her wrists. She said that they took her into a house and made her get undressed. She believes they took pictures of her, but she does not remember them having any physical or sexual contact. She stated the next day she woke up and was fed cheese crackers by the female.

She said the woman also played with her hair but could not remember anything else. At some point, she was put back in a vehicle she claims was able to escape while it was in the West Hoover area. She told detectives she ran through lots of woods until she came out near her residence. During this interview, detectives noted that Carly had a small injury to her lip and she claimed that her head was hurting. She also had a tail on her shirt. Detectives also noted that she had $107 cash

and her right sock. Out of respect for Carly and her family, detectives did not press for additional information in this interview and made plans to speak with her in detail after giving her time to rest. Detectives continue analyzing data from Carly's cell phone that was left behind at the scene. We enlisted the help of the United States Secret Service in conducting this analysis. Part of what data includes several internet searches and the days leading up to her disappearance that I think are very relevant to this case.

On July 11th at 7.30 a.m., the term, you have to pay for an Amber Alert, was searched. On July 13th at 1.03 a.m., the day of her disappearance, the term, how to take money from a register without being caught, was searched. On July 13th at 2.13 a.m., the day of her disappearance, the term, Birmingham bus station, was searched.

Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.

It's easy, and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.

Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.

An official message from Medicare. A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. You may be able to save too. With Medicare's Extra Help program, my premium is zero and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. Go to ssa.gov slash extra help.

Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. On July 13th, 2:35 a.m., a search for a one-way bus ticket from Birmingham to Nashville was conducted with a departure date of July 13th. On July 13th at 12:10 p.m., a search for the movie Taken, a film about a production, was conducted.

There were two searches related to Amber Alerts on a computer at Carly's place of employment, including one regarding the maximum age of an Amber Alert. There were other searches on Carly's phone that appeared to shed some light on her mindset, but out of respect for her privacy, we will not be releasing the content of those searches at this time.

We've asked to interview Carly a second time, but have not been granted that request. As you can see, there are many questions left to be answered, but only Carly can provide those answers. What we can say is that we've been unable to verify most of Carly's initial statement made to investigators, and we have no reason to believe that there is a threat to the public safety related to this particular case. Thank you very much.

I cannot tell you how absolutely shook I was when I was watching that. The stealing of the robe and the toilet paper, the driving six football field lengths, the Google searches. Guys, it's always the Google searches that will get you caught all the time.

But the fact that she was Googling things and Googling things like the movie Taken absolutely blows my mind. Not to mention a tweet that she had made that did not age well. It was a tweet or maybe it was an Instagram. I think it was a tweet where she says Taken 2 is her favorite movie of all time or something like that. So my thought now was going to the motive.

Was she mad at her parents? Were her and her boyfriend fighting and she used it as like a tactic in her favor to get attention from him? Did she just want media attention? Was it a potential psychological break? I really don't understand the motive here. Also, Carly has yet to be arrested for any sort of crime.

While listening to the press conference, I couldn't help but wonder what Carly was doing at that very moment. Was she watching the press conference of her own lies being squashed in front of the world? The detective did answer questions and when asked if there was going to be any charges, they said that right now their focus is in determining what happened in those 49 hours and that charges were not in their minds.

He also said that the family has told them that Carly is not ready to talk based on trauma and her current mental state.

But then, when someone asked if there was any indication of mental illness in this case, he said not that he is aware of. He stated that Carly's parents are still believing what she is saying, which I can understand in wanting to believe your child, but when there is so much evidence against her contradicting her story, it's my opinion that they need to take things for what they are. The fact is, this looks like it was some sort of elaborate kidnapping hoax, which

which Carly is seriously lucky that law enforcement is willing to give her time before talking based on all of the evidence they currently have against her.

Many members of the public are beyond pissed about Carly's behavior and worried about how this could impact future missing persons cases. Because oftentimes missing people who are kidnapped and in danger don't receive nearly the amount of resources or media attention that they deserve, and it can often end up in people not being found in a timely manner.

There's a girl who was murdered local to Carly named Anaya Blanchard. She went missing in October of 2019 and was found about a month later in a wooded area. Anaya, who was 19 at the time, was murdered by gun violence after her abductor abducted her while stealing her car at a gas station after 11 p.m.

Well, Anaya's mother, Angela Harris, immediately had gotten involved when Carly went missing. She was leading searches, and her main goal was to help find Carly, as she too knows what it's like to be a parent of a missing child. I can imagine that there must be some mixed feelings on her end now.

On one hand, she must be so relieved that Carly is home and safe and alive, but on the other hand, I'm sure working the search for Carly likely brought up some emotions from when she was desperately searching for her own daughter, who never came home.

Carly's case reminds me of another case that went viral, and I mentioned it briefly earlier, and that was the case of Sherry Papini. If you haven't seen the video yet, I did a deep dive on this case, which I will link in the description, but Sherry Papini went missing back in November of 2016 when she was 34 years old. Her disappearance was equally as mysterious as she was out for a run when she was abducted. She was found three weeks later bound with restraints, and she made a huge elaborate story about her kidnapping.

Well, in early 2022, she was arrested, and news came out that she was actually just staying with her former boyfriend in Costa Mesa. Literally right next door to where I live. Sherry had received over $30,000 from the California Victims' Compensation Board and had also received a ton of money via GoFundMe. So Sherry was eventually sentenced to 18 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release for her elaborate hoax.

On Monday before the public was told exactly what happened with Carly, Crimestoppers first said that they would be processing refunds for over $63,000 that they had received. However, Monday afternoon, they came back and said that they would not be refunding the money.

There was a mix of emotions with that announcement. Some were upset as they had donated specifically for Carly, and other people were okay with the idea of Crimestoppers using the money for other missing persons cases. It's going to be really interesting to see what happens next in this case and how it all plays out with Carly. There were a ton of resources used to find her, and there was also a ton of money donated to be used as a reward.

The police took years to charge Sherry Papini as they were very calculated in their ways to get information out of her that could be used as evidence to prove that she was lying. As far as we know, Carly still has not spoken with police since that first interview, so it could be a while before anything happens. But I'm going to be watching this closely, as is probably the rest of the country, so I will continue to keep you updated as any important things come out and emerge. So subscribe if you haven't already so you don't miss any of those updates.

But I want to know what you think. Are you on the side of people who believe this was full-blown hoax, full stop? Or do you think that there is potential that she was still kidnapped?

In any event, it's great that she is home. She is safe. Regardless the reasons, regardless the lie, we of course do not ever wish ill on anybody. But it is infuriating to know that people create hoaxes like this out there, whether hers is or not, people do. And that is infuriating because those resources should be allocated to actual victims and missing persons.

And it just makes it that much harder when people go missing for some people to believe the story and get on board emotionally and get on board with the search because now there's this looming doubt that casts over everybody like a shadow. And it's really shitty. It really is. So...

I am going to be curious to see what happens in this case and what the truth really is, where she was, if she was at the Red Roof Inn but shacked up with a lover, if she was at a boyfriend's house, a secret boyfriend. What really happened here? What do you think?

Thanks for tuning in to another bonus episode of Serialistly, guys. I will be back with you very soon with another true crime case. And until the next one, I'm signing off. It's your true crime bestie. Have a great rest of your week and stay safe. Bye, guys.

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