 We said from the evening of July 13th, our focus would be the safe return of Carly Russell. That occurred on Saturday, July 15th, approximately 49 hours after she called 9-1-1 and disappeared. From that point, our focus has been to determine Carly's whereabouts during that time and what exactly took place. Let me say up front, this investigation is not over. We're still working this case and we've worked in this case until we uncover every piece of evidence that helps us account for the 49 hours that Carly Russell was missing. However, through the public interest and some cases, public fear that this story has generated, we owe it to our 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 Tzatziki's at the Colonnade and traveled there. She then traveled the Target on 280, where she purchased some granola bars and cheeses. 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. And at this time, we will play the 911 call in its entirety. Yes. Okay. And were you, do you head to Southbound or Northbound? I'm like four steps, go talk to your score, 280. Four steps, loser. Okay. And what's the child on the left or right side? On the right side. Were they walking on Northbound or Southbound? They're walking in four steps, loser. Walking Southbound? Or how long do they look? Um, like a toddler? Like maybe like three or four? Did you pull over with them? Were you still with them? Yes. Okay. Are you with the child right now? No, I'm not. I didn't get out of the car. I'm just, I can see them though. Can you do mine, stay and you keep an eye on them so we can say? Yeah. Yeah, it's her. Yeah. Okay. What kind of car are you in? I'm in a red Mercedes. And then a sedan or a SUV? SUV. I mean, just a sedan. Sorry. Can you put your hazards off line? Yeah, they're on. Okay. Did you even talk to the child or did you say anything to them? No. Okay. No. Did they look like they're injured? No, they don't. Are they white like a center angel? They're white. Okay. Is a male or female? I think it's a boy, a little boy. A white male? Okay. Is he wearing clothes? Yes. Okay. What is he wearing? Um, just a white t-shirt. It doesn't look like he has any pants on. It looks like a diaper. And you don't see any cars anywhere? No. No cars anywhere. Are you in a car or in a school? And you don't see any injuries on the child from where you're at? Correct. No. No. But I can't really see them that good. Okay. Try to see them on some of the best big camps. I don't want to really check them. Um, okay. All right. And do they have shoes on? No. I can't really see that look. I got them on the way, okay? Just try to stay, keep an eye on them, but the officers are on the way, okay? Okay. Thank you. Carly called a relative after speaking with the 911 operator. She went missing during that conversation sometime after 9.36 p.m. Traffic camera footage was obtained which depicted this portion of the incident and that footage was analyzed as part of the investigation in conjunction with the 911 call and cell phone data to accurately determine the time frame. Carly's 911 call remains the only report of a child on the interstate, despite numerous vehicles passing through the area at that time. No one has called report that 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 Carly's mother stating that a relative was on the phone with her when they heard Carly 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. Canine 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 911 senator receives a call from Carly the residence stating that she returned home on foot. In subsequent investigations, detectives obtained surveillance footage of Carly walking down the sidewalk alone prior to arrival at a residence. She was conscious, 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 be captured again and then was put in a car. She claimed she was then blindfolded but was not tied up because the captor 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 did 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 evening the detective noted that Carly had a small injury to her lip and she claimed that her head was hurting. She also had a tear on her shirt. Detectives also noted that she had $107 cash in 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 are, I think, 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. 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 later 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 on 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't 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. Right now our focus is to determine those 49 hours so the investigation continues so to be perfectly honest with you that hasn't even in her mind or been discussed. Well I think the family stated to us that they didn't think that in her mental state right now because of trauma of the incident that she's not ready to talk is what we've been told. I believe it's a white male am I correct my saying that was it ever is yeah white male don't believe sir we have no reported not that I'm aware of a pre-story that the next time a young woman of color was missing that it might not be taken seriously I would respond to that. I'd respond to say that we investigate every crime to the fullest just like we have this one. I'm like with anyone who's with anyone who's time to disappear to knowledge not to my knowledge. Chief I know you said you weren't able to verify a lot of aspects of the story. Where do you think she went and how would you characterize what happened here? You know that's that's that's the $100 question you know we pretty much know exactly what took place from the time she left work until she got on the 911 call and we can see getting out of that getting out of the car on the interstate from that footage and after that I think she only does we don't know. What one quick follow-up to her parents did you speak with Holly's parents and why do you think it is they were so adamant that there wasn't a doctor? Yeah I think parents are believing what their daughter's saying and we've had a very good report with the parents, met with them on several cases. I've talked to them today a few times and to make them understand that we're under pressure from our community not only in our community of the state but nationally when the story hit and I just wanted them to understand that today we were going to have a press conference and what we were going to detail today are facts and everything that I've told you today is actual facts it's not in your windows it's not what I think it's not what these detectives think it is the facts of information that we have. Well I think our detectives have talked to the parents and we're ready to talk as soon as she's ready so you know she called right now we're ready. How about unknown you know we know the facts that we have everything else is unknown at this time. Absolutely and again the focus of the investigation that Thursday when she went missing of course the focus was to get Carly home that's what we want all we wanted her safe and safe and sound and that's all happened and then of course this is this has gotten to be not only a local state story but a national story so you know it is it's a lot of stress on everyone in the Hoover Police Department. Every citizen here we want to know the truth. As you stand here are you frustrated? I wouldn't say I'm frustrated I mean I'm very happy that that Carly's home that's that was the mating greeting here and then we'll we'll figure it out I promise you that we'll end up figuring it out. I we haven't had time to consider that but it's a you know again these detectives that are here this is just a small a small group of people that have been been associated with this case we have put every available resource that we have on this case because we wanted to make sure that we found out everything we wanted to get her home and we have sure sure a lot of the a lot of the from the from the FBI side uh several several agents helping us interview I mean as you well know a case like this especially when it goes national we we've got hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of calls and when you get those calls some of them may just be outlandish but you've got to you've got to follow up on them because you never know that you may get that one tidbit and I'd also say too that we had a great cooperation with the family the family receive hundreds and hundreds of tips and every time they got a tip they sent it to us. Would you say a crime has been committed? No we have not determined that no. Chief man WGG 610 Summit Media questions for Chief uh of all the searches that you mentioned Chief that was from college phone does that kind of give you an indication of her mind state during this ordeal the 48 hours that she was missing? Well you know again we want to talk in facts and and I I do think it's it's highly highly unusual to uh uh the day that uh that that someone gets kidnapped at several seven hours or eight hours before that that they're searching the internet googling the movie taken about an abduction I I find that very uh very strange yes no we're not now absolutely not. He was traveling six football fields which tells you which tells me that uh I've had kids and I'm sure a lot of people here have and it's very very again she said it and I'm not saying it couldn't happen because I've always been one of these guys never say never but six football fields I mean I like I like athletics I like football six football fields to think that a toddler barefoot that could be three or four years old is going to travel six football fields without getting in the roadway without crying without any any just moving down it's very it's just very hard for me to understand we did not see from what we can tell we don't see anybody on the interstate other than uh her car and then someone getting out of her driver's side we have sent that uh that off to the FBI for enhancement it has not been returned. Do you think in this case that charges will be forthcoming towards Harley Russell and Howard Mead and I'm on one call? Well you know again that's not something that we've even discussed it's we're going through the through the uh uh still investigation but you know people have to understand that uh when when someone says something like like this we put every available resource everybody comes together from like to say state local federal it it's it's just a lot of work and uh and and you know it's it the man gentlemen early said frustrated I mean it is a little frustrating to think that uh all this has been done and we can't find uh find anything out. No not to my knowledge. All right last question here this investigation held up until you can speak once again Harley Russell? Well there's a few things that we're still doing but uh obviously we want to talk to Carly as soon as we can uh and and do an in-depth interview and at that time I think we'll have these investigators doing some other things so that's all the questions we're going to answer today we appreciate you guys coming and we'll be following up with y'all later thank you so much. Thank you very much.