It’s been one year since 5-year-old Oakley Carlson, of Washington, was last seen, although police say she wasn’t reported missing until December 2021.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, neighbors said that they have not seen Oakley “in quite some time.” Another person in the Oakland neighborhood said that it had been so long since Oakley was seen that the school bus eventually stopped coming to pick her up.
Grays Harbor Undersheriff Brad Johansson said Oakley was reported missing after deputies arrived at her family’s home on December 6 to perform a welfare check, at the request of Oakville Elementary School Principal, Jessica Swift.
Oakley’s parents told investigators that they last saw her on November 30, 2021. They didn’t provide any information about where the child could be, police said.
“The parents have given no indication that Oakley is in the care of an adult and cannot account for her whereabouts or condition,” police said in a December news release. “Investigators believe Oakley would be unable to survive on her own for this length of time.”
Johansson announced in December that Oakley was last seen alive on February 10, 2021, despite her parents giving a different timeline.
Arrest
Police arrested Oakley’s parents, Jordan Bowers and Andrew Carlson, and initially charged them with manslaughter. Those charges were dropped, citing a lack of evidence, but they were both charged with neglect in connection with Oakley’s 6-year-old sister.
The sister, according to prosecutors, wasn’t given her prescribed medications for months while in the care of her parents. During that time, Oakley disappeared.
Investigators interviewed the 6-year-old, who said her mother told her not to talk about Oakley. She eventually admitted she hadn’t seen her sister in a long time; she began crying when a detective asked her if Oakley was hurt.
“Her mother Jordan told her not to talk about Oakley and that she had gone out to be eaten by wolves,” a police report read.
When police questioned Bowers about Oakley’s disappearance, she allegedly became furious and refused to answer questions.
“She became enraged, yelling, clenching her fists, and refused to answer any further questions about the welfare or wellbeing of her daughter,” the report read.
During a search of the couple’s residence, police found “blood splatter on the blinds near the front door, on the front door and a handprint on the wall in the downstairs hallway.” They also found signs of other children being in the home but no signs of Oakley.
Social Services
Swift contacted social services after her child and Oakley’s sister had a playdate together at her house. While there, Oakley’s sibling became upset and said, “Oakley is no more.” Swift also told police that she had been to the home on numerous occasions and never once saw Oakley.
On December 4, 2019, the 6-year-old was returned from foster care to her parents, with explicit instructions to administer the medication as prescribed, the prosecution said. Bowers and Carlson continued to refill the child’s medication until August 2020, when it ceased. The suspects reportedly told a doctor they had to stop administering the medication due to insurance problems.
“That is a situation that occurred because her health insurance carrier refused to pay for it (the medication), said it was experimental or something,” Bowers’ attorney Michael Nagle said during Bowers’ arraignment.
“She spent a lot of time trying to get that (insurance) decision overturned. This is a situation that’s been discussed in Dependency Court for months, and why it would justify suddenly putting her in jail, I don’t understand.”
Meanwhile, both suspects remain behind bars at Grays Harbor County Jail on $150,000 bail each “until further notice.”
Investigators would like to speak with anyone who has seen or spoken to Oakley since January 2021, as well as anyone who had direct contact with her parents during the same time period.
Anyone with information on Oakley should call the sheriff’s office at (360) 533-8765. You can also contact Detective Sgt. Paul Logan at (360) 964-1729 or email sodetectives@co.grays-harbor.wa.us.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Feature Photo: Oakley Carlson/Handout]
