# A creepy missing person case (July 2023) (Confirmed to be a Hoax) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 15, 2023, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-creepy-missing-person-case-july-2023-confirmed-to-be-a-hoax/987078 "2023-07-15T18:40:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-creepy-missing-person-case-july-2023-confirmed-to-be-a-hoax/987078/41 "2023-07-26T02:21:52Z")
We’ll find out more about this. She researched Amber Alerts so it was all deliberate, done with criminal intent, but there’s always the possibility of unknown characters and plot twists in this story. Prolly not, but it’s possible. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2023, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-creepy-missing-person-case-july-2023-confirmed-to-be-a-hoax/987078/42 "2023-07-26T02:40:37Z")
I’m curious to know what the motive was. In the [Jennifer Wilbanks case](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runaway_bride_case), it was to avoid a marriage. In [the Papini case](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherri_Papini_kidnapping_hoax), it was to spend time away from her husband and with her ex-boyfriend. Papini got 18 months in prison and was fined $300,000, but that case was more serious - over five years passed before law enforcement realised she’d herself committed the crime, and she’d also claimed $30,000 in victim compensation. The Russell case seems closer to the Wilbanks case, which resulted in her making a plea bargain for two years of probation, 120 hours of community service and $2,250 to be paid in restitution to the Sheriff’s Department. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-creepy-missing-person-case-july-2023-confirmed-to-be-a-hoax/987078/43 "2023-07-28T10:00:25Z")
It’s a pity about whatever drove her to this weird plan, but it shouldn’t make people less likely to believe the next story. Trust, but verify. For every story like this there’s likely 100’s that are true. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-creepy-missing-person-case-july-2023-confirmed-to-be-a-hoax/987078/44 "2023-07-28T10:59:02Z")
What should be and what will be are rather different, and with the cases that have been cited in this thread, we all know there will be those who jump straight to “hoax” in future cases and don’t take them seriously after the number of liars crying “wolf” for attention, victim compensation, revenge on someone in the hoaxster’s life, or whatever else applies. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-creepy-missing-person-case-july-2023-confirmed-to-be-a-hoax/987078/45 "2023-07-28T20:22:27Z")
> **[Carlee Russell is charged with kidnapping hoax](https://www.npr.org/2023/07/28/1190774312/carlee-russell-charged-kidnapping-hoax-alabama)** > > It remains unclear why the 25-year-old Alabama nursing student fabricated a story of a stranded child and why she went missing for two days. _Carlee Russell, the Alabama nursing student [who went missing for two days](https://www.npr.org/2023/07/16/1187997868/carlee-russell-found-toddler-missing) after telling 911 she found a stranded toddler, has been charged with two misdemeanors in connection with the hoax, according to police._ - snip - _Both charges carried a bond of $1,000 each and are punishable by up to a year in jail and a $6,000 fine, Derzis said. Russell was later released from jail after posting bond._ Maybe that’s going to be enough of a deterant for someone else to try this, for whatever purpose? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-creepy-missing-person-case-july-2023-confirmed-to-be-a-hoax/987078/46 "2023-07-28T20:25:46Z")
Nutty confused people are not deterred by rational considerations because rational considerations are not driving their nutty confused behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-creepy-missing-person-case-july-2023-confirmed-to-be-a-hoax/987078/47 "2023-07-28T21:04:53Z")
[Smiling in one’s mugshot](https://nypost.com/2023/07/28/carlee-russell-charged-in-alabama-abduction-hoax/) is not a good look, if one wants to convey contrition. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-creepy-missing-person-case-july-2023-confirmed-to-be-a-hoax/987078/48 "2023-07-28T22:13:13Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Nutty confused people are not deterred by rational considerations because rational considerations are not driving their nutty confused behavior. Not sure if nutty and confused apply if you research and plan it in advance. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2023, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-creepy-missing-person-case-july-2023-confirmed-to-be-a-hoax/987078/49 "2023-07-29T00:13:02Z")
You can be motivated by nutty and confused motives while still making coherent deliberate plans to do your dumb deed. Cf Bryan Kohberger. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2023, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-creepy-missing-person-case-july-2023-confirmed-to-be-a-hoax/987078/50 "2023-10-14T05:42:30Z")
Judge finds Carlee Russell guilty and sentences her to spend a year in jail and pay nearly $18,000 in restitution. > **[Carlee Russell, who admitted to faking her own kidnapping in Alabama, was...](https://edition.cnn.com/2023/10/11/us/carlee-russell-guilty-kidnapping-hoax-alabama/index.html)** > > Carlee Russell, the Alabama woman who admitted to faking her own kidnapping, has been found guilty of two misdemeanor charges related to the case, according to CNN affiliates WBMA and WVTM. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2023, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-creepy-missing-person-case-july-2023-confirmed-to-be-a-hoax/987078/51 "2023-10-14T06:48:03Z")
> [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](#): > > …to spend a year in jail… At first, I thought that was pretty harsh. But maybe not. However. Papinni got out after 10 months of an 18 month sentence. Who knows about the $300k restitution. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-creepy-missing-person-case-july-2023-confirmed-to-be-a-hoax/987078.md?page=2)