OAKVILLE, WASHINGTON: The almost two-year-old case of a missing child appears to be getting murkier with the passage of time. Oakley Carlson was reportedly only five when she disappeared from her parents' home in 2021.
Though the exact date of her disappearance is not known, Grays Harbor Sheriff's Office said that “the last credible sighting of Oakley was on 02/10/21.” Her parents – Jordan Bowers and Andrew Carlson – have reportedly been declared prime suspects.
Unspeakable torture
Newly released court documents mentioned Oakley was put inside a "cell" below the staircase before she vanished, FOX13 reported. The records also revealed that the child was beaten for allegedly causing a fire inside the house and was seen "under her mother’s bed and in the woods."
Who were Oakley Carlson's foster parents?
According to reports, before she started living with her biological parents, Oakley was living with her foster parents from the time she was just seven months old. Her foster parents' names are Erik and Jamie Jo Hiles.
Recently, Jamie spoke with Fox13 and shared her fear after Oakley’s father Andrew was released from jail. He had been in jail for months for felony endangerment charges but was released earlier this month.
‘Where does that put her siblings?’
Jamie said, “I don’t feel good about knowing that Andrew is free. He’s out there in Wenatchee living a good life, and Jordan is going to serve some time and then she’s free. Where does that put Oakley? Where does that put her siblings?” referring to Jordan’s recent sentencing for an identity theft case.
She went on to remember Oakley as “kind and smart.” Jamie said, “She loved to read. She would fall asleep with books in her bed.”
‘We wanted to give her the absolute best life’
This came as earlier in December 2021, Jamie reportedly stated, “That’s what’s so heartbreaking, we wanted to give her the absolute best life. Loading her into that car two years ago felt like a death to us then. We have grieved and have been so sad at the loss of her.”
“I never want anything to happen to her. But I have to prepare myself that something could have happened to her,” she said.
“Every part of my being was fighting that. We went to every court hearing. I would vehemently say this is not right, this should not happen,” the foster mother added at the time.
What does the police say?
In May, Grays Harbor Sheriff's Office shared an “age progression picture” of Oakley with a statement that read, “Oakley Carlson was reported missing on 12/06/21, and the last credible sighting of Oakley was on 02/10/21.”
“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,” it explained.
“If you have any information regarding the Oakley Carlson investigation please contact the Grays Harbor Sheriff's Office, at (360) 964-1729," the statement concluded while an earlier release termed the circumstances surrounding the child’s disappearance as "suspicious."