The Truth Behind Our Obsession With True Crime Stories

Driving location from enactment the evening of July 13, Carlee Russell spied a toddler walking on an Alabama road and called 911. Minutes later, she was gone.

When officers arrived astatine the scene, they recovered her reddish Mercedes inactive moving and a fewer of her belongings—including her wig, telephone and purse—but nary motion of the 25-year-old, according to a constabulary report.

And, yet, her story, which rapidly garnered nationalist attention, comes with a blessed ending. Two days aft the nursing pupil vanished she conscionable arsenic abruptly returned home.

While the authorities person spoken to Russell, the Hoover Police Department are inactive actively investigating Russell's disappearance and the unusual circumstances situation it. 

"The details of that connection are a portion of the ongoing probe which is expected to proceed implicit the adjacent fewer days," a spokesperson for the section told NBC News successful a statement. "During the archetypal information of the investigation, detectives were capable to retrace astir each of Carlee's steps until the constituent she went missing and are assured that volition proceed to beryllium the case."

Here's everything to cognize astir Carlee Russell's case:

How did Carlee Russell disappear?

During her commute location from work, astatine astir 9:34 p.m. connected July 13, Russell called some 911 and a household subordinate to study spotting a kid unsocial connected the interstate I-459 South, according to a property merchandise shared by authorities.

However, erstwhile constabulary arrived, Russell's conveyance and immoderate of her belongings, including her telephone and Apple Watch, were there, but determination was nary hint of her oregon a child. Authorities besides confirmed they person not received immoderate different calls involving a missing toddler.

Crimestoppers offered a $5,000 reward for the harmless instrumentality of Russell, and an anonymous donor offered an further $20,000.

When did Carlee Russell instrumentality home?

Two days aft she went missing, Russell returned location July 15, the Hoover Police Department told NBC News. Hoover Police Capt. Keith Czeskleba noted that Russell was taken to a infirmary for further evaluation. And, upon being treated and released, Russell provided a connection to police.

What are Carlee Russell's loved ones saying?

After Russell was found, her parent Talitha Robinson-Russell issued a connection connected her Facebook leafage connected behalf of their family, addressing however grateful they were for their daughter's harmless return.

"Great morning!! My hubby and I privation to marque this connection again arsenic we did past night," she wrote. "It's thing much to adhd oregon instrumentality distant from however we're feeling close now. God is faithful and He has answered our prayers... We bash privation to inquire for privateness astatine this clip to let america to conscionable emotion connected our girl and each different with our adjacent household and friends."