Carlee Russell's boyfriend tells his side of the story: 'This is my last time talking about this'
"Carlee" Nichole Russell, 25, vanished after telling a family member that she was stopping to check on a child she saw walking on the side of an interstate highway. (Hoover Police)
HOOVER, Ala. - The former boyfriend of Carlee Russell spoke out about her arrest this past summer in the podcast "205 Boyz" earlier this month.
"This is my last time talking about this situation," Thomar Latrell Simmons said.
Simmons initially stuck by 25-year-old Carlethia "Carlee" Nichole Russell when she showed up at the front door of the home in Hoover, Alabama she shared with her parents on July 16. That was four days after she called 911 to report she saw a young child walking on the side of Interstate 459 South near Mile Market 11.
Thomar Latrell Simmons recalls first hearing about Carlee Russell's disappearance
Simmons spoke to co-host Marcus Moody about how his life has been forever changed by the accusations Russell now faces, and the swarm of internet rumors that followed.
"[I’m] trying to get back to my normal life, but it’s never going to be normal for me," Simmons said. "I can’t even go around Birmingham without people knowing who I am. It’s crazy, bro."
Simmons recounted the way he felt when Russell’s family informed him of her mysterious disappearance on July 13.
"I was doing a dash to Hoover," he said. "I got there in 15 minutes."
How Carlee Russell's boyfriend found out about her charges
He says he found out about the truth the same way as everyone else: a police press conference on July 24.
"I was mad, I was sad," he said. "I was all type of emotion."
Russell was charged with filing a false police report and filing a false statement to law enforcement, both Class A misdemeanors.
"If you really want to tell me the truth, you could’ve told me before all this happened, before the police came out," he said. "You had time to tell me."
Carlee Russell's ex-boyfriend still has questions
He still does not fully understand why she did it.
"We had a little argument, but it was nothing to kidnap yourself over," he said.
Simmons says the online rumors about his relationship with Russell went wild.
"It made me mad because people were talking down on my character," he said. "People were saying I was a cheater, and I’m this and that, a player, and I’m like ‘Our relationship was five years, man.'"
He also recounted his trip to New York City with Russell a few weeks before her disappearance. They visited the usual landmarks, took a tour of the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge. He says they generally had fun.
Police cast doubts on Carlee Russell's story
Police are casting doubt on a 25-year-old Alabama woman's claim that she was kidnapped from the side of an interstate. Carlee Russell’s mother told the Today Show that her daughter was abducted and fought for her life, but investigators can't verify her claims.
"I’m confused, like what happened? What made you do that? I don’t understand," he said.
Simmons says he doesn’t know why she did what she did, and hasn’t spoken to her since she first went missing. He adds he has no plans to talk to her anytime soon.
Carlee Russell's disappearance
The search for Russell began the night of July 13. That night, she called 911 and then spoke to a family member, saying that she saw a young child walking on the side of Interstate 459 South near Mile Market 11 in Hoover.
Carlee's mother said her daughter was on the phone with a family member when she pulled over to check on the child.
While the family lost contact with Carlee Russell, the line remained open.
When officers arrived at the location, they found Russell's red Mercedes still running by the interstate, but they were unable to find her or a child in the area.
Investigators say no children had been reported missing in the area.
Police say a witness reported seeing a man standing beside Russell’s vehicle just before officers arrived at the scene.
After news of her disappearance spread, a private donor came forward to offer a $25,000 reward, in addition to the $5,000 being offered by Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama. That reward eventually increased to $55,000 and then to over $63,000 with the support of around 60 other donors, the New York Post reported.
$63K RAISED IN CARLEE RUSSELL SEARCH WILL NOT BE REFUNDED
When was Carlee Russell found?
On July 15, two days after her disappearance on Interstate 459, Russell showed up at the front door of the home in Hoover she shared with her parents.
She was taken to a local hospital for evaluation and then released back to her family.
Carlee Russell made abduction-related internet searches, police say
In the days before her disappearance, authorities said she searched for information on her cellphone about Amber Alerts, a movie about a woman’s abduction and a one-way bus ticket from Birmingham to Nashville, Tennessee.
Her phone also showed she traveled about 600 yards while telling a 911 operator she was following a 3- or 4-year-old child in a diaper on the side of the highway, Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis said.
PARENTS SAY CARLEE RUSSELL ‘FOUGHT FOR HER LIFE’ AFTER DISAPPEARANCE
Prior to her disappearance, Russell allegedly took a robe and toilet paper from her job.
Speaking with the TODAY show, Russell's parents stated they believe their daughter was "absolutely" abducted. Days later, Russell's lawyer turned over a written statement to Hoover police stating she fabricated the story of her kidnapping.
Russell was charged with filing a false police report and filing a false statement to law enforcement, both Class A misdemeanors.
Carlee Russell-inspired movie hits Amazon Video
Only two months after the arrest of Carlee Russell and there is already a movie about it ready for streaming on Prime Video.
It’s called "The Nurse That Saw the Baby on the Highway" and can be rented for $1.99 or bought for $4.99 for those interested in the quick-turnaround feature.
This story was reported on from Atlanta.