Hours after a lawyer representing Carlee Russell revealed the 25-year-old Alabama woman was not kidnapped as she reported to police, her now-ex boyfriend posted a statement condemning her actions.
Russell was missing for two days before reappearing in Hoover, Alabama, and telling law enforcement she had been kidnapped July 15.
By July 19, police said they had been “unable to verify” statements Russell had made about her alleged kidnapping.
Then, in a press conference on Monday, Hoover Police Chief Nicholas C. Derzis said the nursing student had submitted a statement to them via her lawyer.
“There was no kidnapping on Thursday, July 13, 2023,” the statement reads. “My client did not see a baby on the side of the road. My client did not leave the Hoover area when she was identified as a missing person. My client did not have any help in this incident, but this was a single act done by herself.”
In a statement shared Monday, Russell’s now-ex-boyfriend Thomar Latrell Simmons condemned her actions. Simmons had previously spoken to media and posted online about being Russell’s boyfriend before her lawyer said her kidnapping was a hoax.
In his post on late July 24, he called the nursing student his “ex” and said she had created “hurt, confusion and dishonesty.”
“I was made aware of the false narrative after coming to the defense of my ex Carlee Russell,” he said in the statement. “Myself and my family’s nature was to react in love, and genuine concern. We are disgusted from the outcome of this entire situation. I strongly feel exactly like you all. blindsided with Carlee’s actions.”
He added that it’s “still an ongoing investigation” but with Russell’s “confession now we gain closure with this situation.”
He concluded by thanking followers for their support and asked that people “continue to keep us in your prayers.”
In a statement read by police on July 24, Russell’s lawyer said she apologized to the community and everyone who had searched for her.
“As for her friends and family, we ask for your prayers for Carlee as she addresses her issues and attempts to move forward, understanding that she made a mistake in this matter. Carlee, again, asks for your forgiveness and prayers,” the statement concluded.
Russell’s legal team did not immediately respond to TODAY’s request for comment Tuesday.
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