Source: Hoover Police Department / Hoover PD
The mysterious situation around Alabama woman Carlee Russell has gotten more tangled as she has been fired from her job at a spa.
According to reports, the owner of The Woodhouse Spa in Birmingham where Russell was employed confirmed that she was terminated last Friday (July 21). Stuart Rome revealed that her former co-workers were “pissed” after the press conference by the Hoover Police Department casting doubts on her disappearance and resurfacing last week. “It was really devastating for them thinking a co-worker was abducted,” he stated. “The following day, Saturday, it was the busiest day of the week, and they had to plug along and work and in the off times pass out flyers and other things.”
The 25-year-old allegedly disappeared after leaving work on the night of July 13, shortly after calling 911 to report seeing a male toddler barefoot walking alongside the I-459 highway. When police arrived, they found her vehicle, cell phone and wig but no sign of her or the missing child. She would return back home two days later and initially claimed to police that a trucker had abducted her in an 18-wheeler.
Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said in the press conference last Wednesday (July 19) that they “were unable to verify most of Carlee’s initial statement.” He revealed Russell’s Internet search history, which threw more suspicion on her story, including searches for “do you have to pay for an Amber Alert?” and the cost of a one-way ticket from Birmingham to Nashville, Tennessee. They also found no evidence of a child being at the scene. Russell’s mother, Talitha Russell, and her boyfriend, Thomar Simmons, have publicly defended her to the press.
The spa was then hit with dozens of nasty messages and reviews afterward. “Basically, we’ve spent the last day battling to get things deleted,” Rome said. “Comments. I’ve had to shut down my comment section on Instagram and Facebook page, which hurts us because we do a lot of marketing there. We’re just trying to keep the doors open.” He also said that if the situation is confirmed to be a hoax, the news may not make people more helpful if another abduction occurs. “They’re just not going to respond like they did, which is the worst part,” he said.
