The Alabama woman who faked her own kidnapping has broken a year on from the incident that stunned America.
Carlee Russell was charged with two misdemeanors for making false statements to police last July when she told authorities she’d been kidnapped.
Posting to her Instagram account on Monday, Russell wrote: ‘I would be remiss not to publicly acknowledge the goodness God has shown to me.
‘He not only allowed me to see another year but He changed the trajectory of my life from the negative place I was in this time last year.’
She eventually admitted that she had made up the kidnapping, with her initial disappearance sparking national interest.
Carlee Russell was charged with two misdemeanors for making false statements to police last July when she told authorities she’d been kidnapped
Her post continued: ‘To those who have been there for me, your kindness and support have meant the world to me.
‘Whether it was a text, call, direct message on social media, post, prayer, thoughtful gift, or words of encouragement, nothing was too little and each helped me to fight to live another day.
‘Thank you sincerely for helping me find the light in the darkest of moments. The work is not finished yet.
‘As I step into this next year of life, I am filled with hope and optimism toward continuing to overcome challenges, cherishing those who cherish me, and embracing the future and God’s plan for my life with an open heart and mind.’
Russell did not refer directly to the fake kidnap attempt, which was likened to classic thriller novel and movie Gone Girl, but appeared to be outlining the steps she has taken to rebuild her life since.
Last October, Russell pleaded guilty to false reporting and a municipal judge ruled against her and recommended she pay $18,000 and spend a year in jail.
Her legal team appealed the conviction, hoping to avoid jail time for their client – a mission they ultimately succeeded in.
Russell was sentenced to a year on probation.
In July of last year, Russell called the police to report a toddler on the side of Interstate 459 in Alabama.
When officers arrived they found her red Mercedes still running, but were unable to find her or a child in the vicinity.
Video taken the night that Carlee Russell faked her disappearance in Alabama appeared to show the moment she pulled over on a highway to help a child
Russell pleaded guilty to false reporting and a municipal judge ruled against her and recommended she pay $18,000 and spend a year in jail, which was then overturned
Several days later, the nursing student returned home and told police that she’d been taken by a man and a woman while she was on the side of the highway checking on the toddler.
Investigators said they found no evidence of a child on the side of the road and quickly cast doubts about her story.
Officers discovered that Russell had searched on her phone for information about Amber Alerts, the movie ‘Taken,’ and bus tickets hours before she went missing.
Later in July, Russell, through her attorney admitted in a statement that ‘there was no kidnapping.’
