Her sister said she was eaten by wolves, and police have arrested her parents: What we know about missing five-year-old Oakley Carlson
Brother tells detectives he saw missing sister being beaten ‘with a belt and has been worried about her starving’
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The parents of missing five-year-old Oakley Carlson have been arrested and charged with second-degree child abandonment in connection to their care of Oakley’s sister.
A search operation for the missing girl has been called off after her sister made suspicious claims.
This is everything we know so far.
When was Oakley last spotted?
Oakley was reported missing on 6 December, but investigators have said that she was last seen alive on 10 February, more than 10 months ago.
Law enforcement has said that she was last spotted at her home in Oakville in the western part of Washington state.
The search for Oakley was called off after the missing child’s six-year-old sister made claims that made authorities focus on parents Jordan Bowers and Andrew Carlson. They were initially arrested on suspicion of manslaughter but they haven’t been charged with that crime.
Grays Harbor County undersheriff Brad Johansson announced on Monday that detectives had called off the search operation after thoroughly combing more than 300 acres surrounding the parents’ home.
What prompted the investigation?
The search for Oakley began on 6 December after the child’s principal requested a welfare check on her.
The principal told investigators that Oakley had not been to school for a long time and that her older sister allegedly made worrying claims.
During a sleepover with the principal’s daughter, Oakley’s sister allegedly said that her sibling was dead.
She had said that “Oakley is no more” and that “there is no Oakley”, according to an affidavit obtained by KCPQ.
During a subsequent interview with a child advocate, Oakley’s sister reportedly said that “her mother Jordan had told her not to talk about Oakley” and that “she had gone out into the woods and had been eaten by wolves”.
Oakley’s nine-year-old brother told detectives that Ms Bowers would “put Oakley in the closet, possibly under a stairwell”. He added that he “witnessed Jordan beat Oakley with a belt and has been worried about her starving”.
The parents have claimed that the last time they saw Oakley alive was on 30 November. But investigators have yet to find evidence that she was alive after the family was displaced by a fire at their home on 6 November.
According to court documents, Mr Carlson told authorities that Oakley lit a couch on fire, which then spread to the upper floor of the house.
Mr Johansson has said that 911 emergency personnel were alerted, but were told that firefighters were unnecessary as the fire was already out. Officials have not been able to determine if Oakley was alive before or after the fire.
The missing child’s grandparents informed the police that they had not seen Oakley since December last year.
“Oakley had dark circles under her eyes, pale skin, and she had scratches or sores on her face,” Oakley’s grandmother told detectives, according to KIRO 7.
What are the charges?
Ms Bowers and Mr Carlson have been charged with second-degree child abandonment for allegedly withholding medication from Oakley’s sister, who is blind, for 15 months. The parents could still face manslaughter or murder charges even if Oakley is not found, Mr Johansson told KCPQ.
This depends on the prosecutor’s office, he added.
The Grays Harbor Sheriff’s office said on 9 December that the six-year-old sister’s “medication is necessary for her physical wellbeing and puts her at risk for physical impairment and could eventually result in death”.
The parents are currently being held at the Grays Harbor County Jail on a $150,000 (£113,235) bond and are scheduled to appear at the District Court on 30 December.
What is law enforcement saying?
“The search at the residence is complete and she was not located. Detectives are still actively investigating this case. There are no searches underway at this point,” Mr Johansson told Fox 13 in an email.
He said Oakley’s age, the time frame of her disappearance, and that she doesn’t seem to be cared for by an adult makes for a bleak outlook.
“The likelihood of Oakley Carlson being alive is not very good at this point,” he told KCPQ.
“The parents claim the last time they saw her was November 30,” Mr Johansson told KIRO 7. “The last time we can confirm she was seen alive was January 27, 2021. If we have to search back for a week it’s difficult, if we have to search back for the last year it’s a huge task.”
“If there’s burn piles, we’re going through the burn piles, if there’s any fresh dirt, we’re looking in fresh dirt, any crawl spaces, enclosed spaces. We’re checking everything we can possibly do,” Mr Johansson added. “The search at the residence is complete and she was not located. Detectives are still actively investigating this case. There are no searches underway at this point.”
Mr Johansson wrote on the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s office’s Facebook page on 9 December that “Detectives are still actively investigating the unexplained disappearance of Oakley” and that law enforcement believe “the disappearance is criminal in nature”.
He added that detectives “are seeking any information from anyone who may have seen Oakley Carlson alive” since 27 January of this year.
“With all of the attention this investigation has gathered they have not received any information that Oakley has been seen alive since that date,” he said. “The parents claim the last time they saw Oakley alive” was 30 November 2021.
The undersheriff updated the date while speaking to Fox 13, telling the station that Oakley was last seen alive on 10 February.
Mr Johansson added on Facebook on 9 December that Ms Bowers and Mr Carlson “have given no indication that Oakley is in the care of an adult and cannot account for her whereabouts or condition. Investigators believe Oakley would be unable to survive on her own for this length of time”.