HOOVER, Ala. (WFLA) – When Alabama woman Carlee Russell vanished after she reported seeing a child walking alongside the highway last week, donations began to pour in to assist in her safe recovery.
Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama raised more than $63,000 in reward money to help find Russell before the 25-year-old returned home shortly after she went missing.
According to The Birmingham News, the organization initially said it would return the $63,378 to donors.
Bob Copus, the organization’s executive director, said some of the donations had already been returned. One was a $25,000 donation from the Birmingham Board of Realtors and a $20,000 donation from an anonymous donor.
Hours later, the organization reversed its statement, telling the news outlet the remaining money would not be returned to donors.
“This investigation is still ongoing, and accordingly, there is no basis to refund any contributions at this time. Furthermore, the Hoover Police Department has not requested for any donor contributions to be released or refunded,” the statement said.
About 60 donors pledged $13,378.58, much of it through a PayPal link set up by Crime Stoppers, according to AL.com.
“For large donations, we have an agreement that said you’re giving us this money for this specific case to be used if law enforcement officials deem they’re going to use that money for a payout,’’ Copus explained. “If it’s not used or the case is never solved, you can have your money back.”
The organization said it was reaching out to donors to let them know they can get a refund if they choose.
“We would never use a crime as a fundraiser,” Copus added. “This is strictly for the benefit of getting law enforcement the best information as quickly as possible. And also, it allows the public to get involved because they want to get involved.”
Russell, who is a nursing student, vanished after she got off work on July 13, after she claimed to have seen a child walking along I-459 near Hoover, Alabama.
When police arrived where Russell was last seen, she was nowhere to be found, prompting police to declare her missing. A widespread search to find her was conducted shortly after.
Around 48 hours after Russell vanished, she reappeared on July 15. Her family members told police she had walked home. When she was taken to a hospital for treatment, she told officials she had been abducted.
Throughout the Hoover Police Department’s investigation, officials said they’ve been unable to locate any child that Russell reported seeing. Authorities have also they’ve found discrepancies between what Russell said happened and what their investigation revealed had transpired.