Being victimized is nothing to make light of; a look at the Carlee Russell case

On July 13th, 2023, 25-year-old Carlee Russell, a nursing student, disappeared after calling 911 to report seeing a toddler walking barefoot along the Alabama interstate. Police say they did not receive a call about a missing toddler at the intersection. However, when they arrived at the scene, all that was there was her car and personal items. Upon learning of her disappearance, many news outlets covered the story providing updates on where the case was at. Two days later, Russell returned home safe and sound. She said two men abducted her. During the abduction, Russell said she was kept in a tractor-trailer and escaped before being re-captured. After being re-captured, Russell said she was placed in a car and forced to undress before being blindfolded and photographed. She managed to escape this time around and return home to her family.

Shortly after her return, local police and investigators stated most of Russell’s sto- ry was inadequate, and the continuing investigation provided more doubts. Police found that Russell had done searches on paying for an Amber Alert, how to steal money from a cash register without getting caught, and the movie, Taken.

When news of her disappearance broke, many people prayed for her to return to her family safely. To find out it was all a lie left a bad taste in the mouths of those who worried for her safety. The case received a lot of media attention. That doesn’t happen too often when Black people go missing. In fact, thousands of Black people are still missing, and their cases have yet to receive a resolution.

These missing people have families and friends who care about them and will do anything to have their loved one return home. False stories are very insulting to actual victims of abductions and their families. The trauma of forcefully being taken away is something one can never forget. Not only that but victims can often be subjected to other traumatizing acts while their families worry about whether they will come home or not.

While Russell’s parents and boyfriend have shown they are on her side, many have held her accountable for her wrongs. Claiming to be a victim of crime isn’t anything to make light of when there are real victims out there.