Twiteratti being collectively clowned is the pinnacle of modern-day racket. While there are severe implications, the chaos is indeed entertaining.
Here is a quick rundown of Carlee’s missing case.
The first account of the incident- as told by Carlee’s mother
- JULY 14: Carlee leaves her workplace (Woodhouse Spa) at 8:20 pm. Stops at a Mediterranean restaurant to pick up food for her mother.
- Driving through Interstate 459, where she spots a child at the side of the road. Calls 911 and reports the child. She is on a call with her brother’s girlfriend. Gets out of the car and asks, “are you okay?” The girlfriend heard no response from the child, but there was a scream a few minutes later, which was Carlee’s voice.
- Police arrive at the location and find a wig, hat, and a phone on the ground. The car’s engine is running with the driver’s seat open.
- Carlee is officially reported missing, with massive search parties and high media coverage.
- After 48 hours, she returned home, was assessed by the paramedics, and was taken to the hospital. She is released after a short while.
- Police take her statement, where she said that she was abducted. No further details were disclosed, but something seemed off.
- This gained considerable attention, where some people were relieved that she had returned safely, while others speculated foul play.
- Read here for full details.
Second update after the police investigation
- Police noted that before stopping at I-459 and calling 911, Carlee stopped at Target to buy snacks and other items, as captured in the CCTV footage.
- The grainy surveillance footage from the interstate was enhanced and analyzed frame-by-frame. The police noted no signs of any toddler, nor did they receive any missing child’s report prior to this.
- The CCTV only shows Carlee’s car slowing down on the side. No other cars were stopping at that spot before her.
- The infamous “Snacks” were not found in the car.
- Carlee’s mom, Talitha, received a message from Red Roof Inn, apparently from Carlee. But she was not found at that place.
- Carlee’s parents gave an interview to the local news channel, where they emphasized that she was kidnapped but disclosed no further information. Talitha also said that Carlee had to “fight mentally and physically.”
- Our take was that Carlee was not abducted but was going through a mental health episode.
- Read here for a complete report and analysis.
Latest Update On Carlee Russell At The Recent Press Conference
JULY 20
Police held a press conference to disclose Carlee’s statement, recent inferences from the investigation and expose the false claims.
A day before Carlee’s apparent abduction, police found the following search history from her device–
July 11, 7:30 am — “Do you have to pay for an Amber alert.”
July 13, 1:03 am — “How to take money from a register without being caught”
July 13, 2:13 am — “Birmingham bus station”
July 13, 2:35 am — “One way bus ticket from Birmingham to Nashville” with a departure date of July 13
July 13, 12:10 pm — “The movie ‘Taken'”
Implications: This is a premeditated plan to fake an abduction. If you are watching Taken, you are faking to be taken.
Then police revealed Carlee’s account of what happened after she stopped to attend to the toddler.
- Carlee said that when she got out of the car, she encountered a white male with orange-colored hair and a bald spot. He said he was attending to the child too, but later caught her and put her in his car. (Note: there was no other car captured on the footage).
- She was then taken to an 18-wheeler trailer. Carlee said another woman was present but couldn’t see her but heard a female’s voice. She could also hear a baby crying.
- She further claimed that the kidnappers did not tie her to avoid leaving marks on her. But she was blindfolded.
- She was then taken to a house where she was apparently photographed without clothes.
- Later she claimed that the woman fed her cheese crackers.
- After a day, she managed to escape by running through the woods toward the West Hoover area.
- She returned home with a tear in her shirt and a light bruise on her lip. Police found $107 in her right sock.
Inference: Nothing she said made any sense. This appears more like an erratic effort to create a hoax situation. Yet, we are putting forth two possible reasons for this-
- Mental breakdown
Carlee must have imagined this scenario because she was overworked or stressed. She may have wanted an escape. This was a deliberate attempt to seek help.
- Fabricated lie
Another theory is that she might have done this to hustle some money or wanted attention. However, the money factor seems far-fetched since there was no financial gain from this hoax. Which means she might have done this for attention, that too from someone close to her. But she did not expect her case would receive such national attention and probably land her in prison. Most netizens believe that she wanted to get back at her boyfriend.
Carlee Russell’s Memes & Black Twitter Finding Out
Regardless of her intent, her actions have created a ripple effect. The majority of the black community came to her support and defended her when the allegations surfaced. She not only broke trust but also indirectly hampered the ongoing investigations of more than 18000 black women and girls.
People are rightfully outraged that they stand by her, believing her even before her statements are revealed. Her being “found” was a hope for many that their missing loved one would return soon.
But Black Twitter retaliated to this betrayal with outpouring memes on #CarleeRussell.
Do we believe that Carlee faked her abduction? YES. Do we want her to be charged for false claims? YES, even though we gave her the benefit of the doubt in our previous report. Punishing her might teach all the “fakers” a lesson.
What is your verdict on this case? Do you think that there was a mental health aspect to the story? Should Carlee serve a prison sentence for this hoax?
Which meme did you like the most? Let us know in the comments section below.