An Alabama woman who confessed to lying about being kidnapped has pleaded guilty to criminal charges related to a hoax that started a nationwide manhunt last summer.
Carly Russell pleaded guilty Thursday afternoon in Jefferson County Circuit Court to two misdemeanor counts of filing a false police report.
She will be placed on supervised probation for 12 months and must repay approximately $18,000 in restitution to the city of Hoover and complete 100 hours of community service. Russell must also continue to undergo mental health counseling as a condition of her probation.
“It would be a waste of government resources to put you in prison,” Judge David Carpenter said, suspending Russell's two six-month sentences.
Russell spoke in court for the first time and admitted his actions.
“I would like to sincerely apologize for my actions and the negative impact I had on others as a result. I made a serious mistake while trying to deal with various emotional issues and stress,” Russell said in a statement. “We deeply regret the panic, fear and various negative emotions experienced across the country.”
“I want to specifically acknowledge and take responsibility for the pain and embarrassment I have caused to my family, church family, friends, neighbors, community, and all those directly involved in my search efforts,” Russell said. added.
A retrial is scheduled for Oct. 16 to confirm the amount of restitution paid and the amount of community service completed.
“I want to thank Judge Carpenter for doing what we think all judges should do when it comes to Class A misdemeanor first offenses,” attorney Emory Anthony said after the hearing. She said: “Karly has apologized to her community, Hoover and the volunteers for her actions. We accept that and hope she can move on and live her life on her own terms.” .”
On July 13, Russell, a nursing student, called 911 to report seeing a child on the interstate in Hoover, Alabama, about 10 miles south of Birmingham. After the phone call, she disappeared.
Police found her car and belongings a short time later.
Russell showed up at her home after nearly two days of search efforts and headlines about her case. She told police that she was forced into her car and kidnapped, but that she escaped her captors and walked home.
Days later, police announced they were unable to confirm most details about Russell's alleged kidnapping. These included allegations that Russell was taken to a home and forced to remove her clothes while a man and a woman took nude photos of her.
Police conducted Internet searches on Russell's cell phone, including “if I have to pay for an Amber Alert,'' a one-way ticket from Birmingham to Nashville, Tennessee, and the kidnapping movie “Taken.'' I discovered that.
On July 24, Russell admitted that she had never seen the toddler walking on the side of the highway and that she had lied about having been kidnapped, her attorney said in a statement.
Mr. Russell was convicted of the misdemeanor charge in District Court last October.