Missing: Where is Oakley Carlson?
Who Is Oakley?
Oakley Lyn Carlson was born on December 6th 2016 in Oakville, Washington. She was the 2nd of 3 children born to Andrew Carlson and Jordan Bowers, her older sister DC was born in 2015, her younger brother JC arrived in 2019 and a half-brother BB-P was born in 2012 to a different father. The family lived together at 177 Bartell Road in Oakville in a property owned by Fred and Kate Carlson, Andrew’s parents. Oakley did not have an easy start to life and was born into a chaotic and neglectful household where violence and drug use happened frequently. The relationship between Andrew and Jordan was described as being “volatile and fuelled by meth.”
Andrew Carlson and Jordan Bowers
The Washington Department of Children, Youth and Families were involved with the family on a number of occasions over the years, the earliest occasion being in April 2013. In the period of April 2013- December 2021 they received 11 reports concerning parental drug use, domestic violence, physical abuse and medical neglect, 8 of which were screened in for full investigations. In 2014 BB-P was removed from the home for a period, he was returned to Jordan’s custody after her successful engagement in domestic violence and substance abuse services. In July 2017 The Department of Children, Youth and Families received a report alleging medical neglect, domestic abuse in the home and that Andrew was abusing methamphetamines. The report was screened in resulting in the removal of BB-P, DC and Oakley that same month. BB-P was placed with his father, whilst DC and Oakley were placed into foster care.
Oakley was originally placed with a local foster parent who was also a nurse. Meanwhile Jamie-Jo and Erik Hiles, a couple from Elma, Washington heard about Oakley’s situation when she was first removed. They were interested in taking her for placement, but with an upcoming trip scheduled, elected to wait until they were home. Upon arriving home they initially received news that Oakley had already been placed in a foster home. Soon though the original foster parent realised the placement was too intense with her long hours and welcomed the Hiles to take over. By September 2017 Oakley had successfully transitioned into her new placement with the Hiles where she was happy.
Oakley remained with the Hiles from September 2017 through to 2019, celebrating her first and second birthdays under their care. Oakley thrived and flourished in a safe, secure home environment, forming a loving bond with her Mama (Jamie-Jo) and Daddy (Erik.) Oakley grew to be an incredibly smart and empathetic child, who was speaking in almost complete sentences before her third birthday. She was described as always having a smile on her face, as loving giving hugs and snuggles and as being an all around good kid. Jamie-Jo would describe Oakley by saying that “Her love radiated out of her” and that “She loved people and people loved her.”
Oakley enjoyed several interests and passions in her life. She was particularly fond of watching Disney films with Jamie-Jo, often on repeat. Moana and Frozen were some of her top choices. Oakley was also an avid reader, finding her asleep in bed with a book or surrounded by them in the morning time was not an uncommon sight. Oakley’s other big love was dancing, she liked to dance to songs from Jamie-Jo’s dance team and living room dance parties happened often. The other thing that Jamie-Jo and Erik remember most about Oakley is how much she enjoyed making others laugh, often following jokes up with Waka Waka like Fozzybear from the muppets would do. When she knew how to make someone laugh she would remember it, so she could do it again. Alongside her beloved foster parents, Oakley also developed strong bonds with her extended foster family of grandparents, uncles and more, all of whom added to the rich variety of joyful experiences and moments Oakley got to enjoy. From riding tractors to sledding in snow, the whole family poured their hearts into showering Oakley with the love, safety and joy she always deserved.
Photos of Oakley's time with Jamie-Jo & Erik
Background
In July of 2018 The Department of Children, Youth and Families changed Oakley’s permanency plan to one of adoption, The Hiles were excited to officially have Oakley as part of their family and to secure a stable future for her. In 2019 however, Jordan Bowers became pregnant once again with Oakley’s little brother JC. Having variably engaged with services and classes, the court agreed to return BB-P, DC and Oakley to her care, with a reunification date set for January 2020. Jamie-Jo and Erik were devastated and equally concerned when they were informed of the decision in September and began raising their concerns almost immediately.
Jamie-Jo and Erik began a steady correspondence with the social workers involved in Oakley’s dependency case, Angela Fries and Kathryn Eddy. They reported concerning incidents, raised their fears about how fast things were moving and made their objections known in a series of meetings and emails. Neither Fries nor Eddy were receptive to the reports or information provided by the Hiles and a string of dismissive remarks or even silence were all that they ever got in return. Such remarks included those delivered in an email from Angela Fries to Jamie-Jo on October 19th. Oakley had returned from an unsupervised visit disclosing that she saw Jordan hit Andrew during an argument and Jamie-Jo emailed a video of Oakley’s disclosure to Angela in response to which Jamie-Jo was told “there were no concerns” and that “Oakley loved her mom and dad.” Jamie-Jo emailed one further time on November 6th when overnight visits were due to start reiterating her concerns after the previous incident, her warnings were ignored and the only response was to tell her that Oakley would be returning home earlier than originally planned on November 29th.
On November 29th 2019 Oakley was returned to the care of Andrew and Jordan as planned, Jamie-Jo remained extremely worried about Oakley’s welfare and feared something bad would happen, so much so that she begged social workers not to take her. The experience was incredibly distressing for both Jamie-Jo and Erik who would later compare the experience to a bereavement and eventually decided not to foster again. Several months later on June 3rd 2020 Oakley’s dependency matter was closed and paperwork was signed by Angela Fries, therefore ending monitoring of the family and Oakley’s welfare.
Disappearance
In January 2021 more than a year after Oakley reunified with Andrew and Jordan, Jamie-Jo is shown a photo of Oakley by an associate of the Carlson family. Andrew, Jordan and their 4 children had spent Christmas day in 2020 at the home of Fred and Kate Carlson, at some point in the day Kate took a photo of Oakley and sent it to the same associate who showed Jamie-Jo the photo. Oakley appears to have a black eye in the photo and Kate Carlson would later tell investigators that Oakley did not look well that day, had dark circles under her eyes, pale skin and she had sores and scratches on her face. Jamie-Jo had also heard some rumours that Andrew had recently been fired from his job at Murphy Veneer in Elma, due to drug use. Once again, Jamie-Jo had serious concerns for Oakley’s welfare and she decided to reach out to the Elma Police Chief Susan Shultz for advice.
Shultz informed Jamie-Jo that because Oakville was outside of her jurisdiction she was unable to personally perform a welfare check on Oakley, however Jamie-Jo could call The Department of Children, Youth and Families and a sheriff should then go out to the residence. Jamie-Jo followed this advice and the previous pattern of dismissive behaviour continued, Morgan Artiz the intake worker who answered Jamie-Jo’s call told her that because she had not witnessed any incident firsthand he presumed her information was incorrect and warned her that she could get in trouble for making false reports. Despite this interaction a case was opened and a case worker was sent out to check on Oakley and her siblings, yet the parents refused to cooperate and they closed the case at the end of March 2021 without anyone managing to see Oakley or verify she is safe and well.
On the 6th November 2021 dispatch received an unusual, troubling call from Andrew Carlson at 16:54pm. He told dispatch that he wished to report a house fire but did not need an urgent response as the fire had been extinguished. According to Andrew’s version of events his daughter Oakley had set fire to the couch with a cigarette lighter at around 10am that morning and he had extinguished the fire himself. Jordan would also later tell others that she and Andrew had fought the fire for themselves for hours and could not find a phone to call 911. The family also remained living in the property for several weeks despite being warned that it was structurally unsafe to do so.
Photos of the fire damage at 177 Bartell Road
The property at 177 Bartell Road
Jessica Swift is the principal for the local Oakville Elementary School, her daughter was also friends with
DC at the time. Following the fire she visited the family home a few times. On 10th November she arrived to bring the family supplies, staying for about 45 minutes. She did not see Oakley and was told by Andrew and Jordan that she was in her room. November 24th she brings more supplies, staying for only 5 minutes this time, once again she does not see Oakley but does see her 3 siblings. On December 4th DC went to Swift's house for a sleepover with Swift’s daughter. Troubled by her previous visits, Swift asked DC about Oakley and DC became visibly upset, stating that “Oakley is no more.” Swift asked her again later and DC told her that Oakley had gone to live with her previous foster carers. The following day December 5th, Swift asked questions one more time, she asked DC if Oakley lived with them to which she was told no, DC again told her Oakley was living with her former foster parents. Swift then made contact with the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office expressing that she was concerned for Oakley’s safety and requesting a welfare check.
On December 5th 2021 Oakley should have been celebrating her fifth birthday. At approximately 10am officers belonging to the Tumwater Police Department arrived at The Extended Stay America in Tumwater, Washington, they were there to conduct a welfare check for Oakley Carlson. Oakley was not present and could not be located. Officers interviewed Andrew Carlson and Jordan Bowers, who could not account for Oakley’s whereabouts and gave confusing and conflicting explanations. During his statement to officers Andrew makes comments to the effect of “Oakley being dead, or not coming back or a reunion. Jordan was especially uncooperative and refused to answer questions. At 3:31pm both Andrew and Jordan returned to 177 Bartell Road with 2 year old JC and called the Thurston County non-emergency line to officially report Oakley missing. They told dispatch that the last time they saw Oakley was 30th November however law enforcement never managed to verify this sighting.
At 5:10pm Jordan was arrested on charges of obstructing an officer and suspicion of first degree manslaughter. At 9:30pm Andrew was also arrested on suspicion of first degree manslaughter. They were booked into the Grays Harbor County Jail.
The Extended Stay America in Tumwater
The Investigation
The investigation into Oakley’s disappearance moved quickly, in the early days and weeks it was an extensive process involving multiple agencies, technologies and search techniques. Grays Harbor detectives, Washington State Patrol Troopers and the FBI team worked together on ground searches and divers and aircraft were brought in to assist. Meanwhile in order to establish a workable timeline for the investigation officers tracked down relatives, school personnel, surveillance videos and more. Agencies that provided assistance in this part of the investigation include law enforcement in Mason and Thurston counties, Tumwater Police, FBI, State Patrol and a number of experts that specialise in electronic data. Investigators identified a credible sighting of Oakley on February 10th 2021, she was seen alive by someone associated with the family.
Ground searches for Oakley began on the 7th December, starting with the family property in Oakville and the 300 acres of surrounding land. This was not an easy task in particular because the terrain is not open woodland and rather consists of blackberry bushes, briar patches, and a large amount of underbrush. Searching is consequently very difficult, strenuous and labour intensive. Video footage of the search showed crime scene tape on the driveway and tents set up, with investigators appearing to be digging. Whilst exploring the property itself detectives were unable to find any trace that Oakley even lived in the property, none of her toys and clothes were present and unlike her siblings she did not have her own room. Blood was found on the blinds and the front door but later testing confirms the blood did not belong to Oakley. These initial searches concluded on December 13th but the investigation continued.
When interviewed, Oakley’s siblings BB-P and DC tell law enforcement that Jordan had instructed them not to talk about Oakley, they also claimed that Oakley went into the woods and was eaten by wolves. BB-P states to officers that everyone but Oakley made it out of the house after the fire. Further details from the siblings later revealed in court documents, painted a fuller picture of the mistreatment that Oakley endured after being returned to Andrew and Jordan, and ignored by social workers. According to these court documents Oakley was denied food and often tormented by being made to sit at the table and watch everyone else eat. On other occasions she was beaten and stood on, then often forced into a cupboard and locked there for hours at a time. Whilst in this cupboard she would bang on the door, begging to be let out and sometimes passing out from exhaustion. Her siblings wanted to intervene but did not feel like they could for fear of also being hurt. BB-P told officers he worried about Oakley starving and had once witnessed Jordan beating Oakley with a belt before putting her into the closet/cupboard.
DC’s foster parents contacted police with an inquiry about her medication. As a result of this conversation medical neglect of DC came to light in the investigation. DC was born with a rare genetic disorder causing developmental disability, she is registered blind and does not eat or sleep well. She requires daily injections for her condition and failure to administer the injections would put her at risk of physical impairment that could in turn result in death. Investigators discovered that Andrew and Jordan had not provided DC with her injections since September 2020. Andrew and Jordan were both charged with second-degree abandonment of a dependent child.
9th December: It is announced by The Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office that Andrew Carlson and Jordan Bowers were facing new charges of abandonment of a dependent person in the second degree, following the discovery of their failure to administer DC’s medication. However it was also revealed that the charges of second-degree manslaughter had been dismissed due to a lack of evidence.
10th December: The Department of Children, Youth and Families took hair follicle samples from DC and JC and submitted them for analysis. The tests revealed substantial amounts of methamphetamines in both samples, indicating exposure within the last three months, the levels were so high that it is believed the children actually ingested methamphetamines.
15th December : Fred and Kate Carlson released the following statement. "The Carlson family have been and continue to be fully cooperating with this investigation. Our only objective is to find our granddaughter Oakley. We're praying that Oakley will be found soon and also for the multitude of good people working around the clock to make that happen. We ask that the media respect our privacy during this very difficult time, and we do not wish to make any further statement for now. Thank you."
February 7th 2022: Following the results of DC and JC’s hair follicle tests, Jordan and Andrew both had new charges added to their cases, two counts each of endangerment with a controlled substance. They each plead not guilty, alongside not guilty pleas for the second-degree abandonment charges a month earlier. Deputy Prosecutor Jason Walker alleged that the children could have been exposed to methamphetamines as early as July 1st 2021.
14th March 2022: Andrew Carlson and Jordan Bowers appeared in court for trial readiness hearings. During the hearing Andrew changed his plea to guilty for the two counts of endangerment with a controlled substance. He was sentenced to the maximum of 12 months in jail, ordered to obtain a chemical dependency evaluation within 45 days of his release and banned from possessing any firearms or having unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 18. His biological children were the only exception pending decisions made by the dependency court. He was released from the Grays Harbor County Jail on 3rd August 2022.
4th April 2022: Jordan Bowers changed her plea to guilty for two counts of endangerment with a controlled substance. She was sentenced to 20 months in prison. Jordan was originally released on 15th January 2023 but was rearrested upon her release for identity theft charges, she was later sentenced to 43 months and released in September 2025.
Where is the case now?
Neither Andrew Carlson or Jordan Bowers have ever meaningfully cooperated with the investigation, or attempted to search for Oakley. Although no charges have been filed against them in relation to Oakley’s disappearance they remain official suspects in the case. At the time of Oakley's disappearance Andrew and Jordan owned a vehicle that may be relevant to the investigation, a silver 2012 Chevrolet Suburban LT with the licence plate BTX3380.
In the Summer of 2023 further searches for Oakley were carried out, these were based on locations identified in the initial investigation. None of the searches have uncovered any evidence of Oakley’s whereabouts, she remains missing and is presumed deceased.
Detectives with the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office have received a number of tips from around the country of possible sightings. They’ve worked with agencies across the U.S. to look into each tip, none have led them to Oakley. Many theories have been explored including whether Oakley was trafficked, but detectives have found no evidence of this. In 2022 detectives told the media that they were still keen to talk to anyone who was associated with Jordan between February 2021 and December 6th 2021.
The National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has been involved throughout the investigation. In January 2023 Oakley was featured in the ALERT spot for all 7 zones of their Walmart poster campaign. On May 3rd a NCMEC age progression image was released showing Oakley as she would look aged 6, alongside the following statement. "Oakley Carlson was reported missing on 12/06/21, and the last credible sighting of Oakley was on 02/10/21. Since that time, the Grays Harbor County Sheriff's Office with the assistance of numerous law enforcement agencies and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) have continued to investigate this case and search for Oakley. Due to the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, a recent photo of Oakley was difficult to obtain at the time of her disappearance. The picture originally used at that time was of Oakley on about her 3rd birthday, two years prior to her being reported missing. Thanks to the assistance of NCMEC, we now have an age progression picture showing Oakley at about 6 years old, as she would appear now. If you have any information regarding the Oakley Carlson investigation, please contact the Grays Harbor Sheriff's Office at (360) 964-1729"
Since Oakley’s disappearance, the Department of Children, Youth and Families have failed to take accountability for their failure to protect Oakley. The Hiles, alongside Light The Way Missing Persons Advocacy Project have continued to campaign for an independent, outside agency review of Oakley’s DCYF case. You can help achieve this goal by signing the petition linked below.
Oakley would be 9 years old today. She should have had a bright future with the Hiles, she deserved to grow up safe and happy, to dance and play and go to school. Instead the failings of those tasked with her protection led to Oakley being returned to a true hell on earth before vanishing. Nearly 5 years later those who loved her most are still asking the question “Where is Oakley?”
Anyone with information about Oakley Carlson is urged to call 911 or the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Department at 360-964-1770.
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