During the sentencing, Judge David Carpenter suspended Russell's two six-month sentences, saying it would be a "waste of government resources" to put her in jail for her crime.

A municipal judge on Wednesday found Russell guilty of two misdemeanor charges. The ruling came after Russell's attorneys agreed to "stipulate and appeal" the case, moving the case to circuit court.

It remains unclear why the 25-year-old Alabama nursing student fabricated a story of a stranded toddler and why she went missing for two days.