Four years after the mysterious disappearance of five-year-old Oakley Carlson, a Washington state judge has officially declared the child legally dead bringing tragic closure to a case that has long haunted the local community.
The declaration was made this month in Pacific County Superior Court, following a petition filed by Oakley’s surviving siblings through their attorneys, according to The Olympian. Despite years of investigation, Oakley’s body has never been found, and no one has been charged in her disappearance.
Oakley Carlson was reported missing from her family’s home in Oakville, Grays Harbor County, in December 2021. At the time, her parents Jordan Bowers and Andrew Carlson told authorities they did not know where she was or when she had last been seen.
The case quickly drew national attention after investigators revealed that Oakley had not been seen by anyone outside the home for months before her disappearance was reported.
Extensive ground and aerial searches were conducted across rural areas near the family’s residence, but no trace of Oakley was ever found.
Court documents later revealed deeply disturbing details that fueled suspicion about Oakley’s parents. Investigators said one of Oakley’s siblings told a school teacher that “Oakley is no more” and “there is no Oakley.”
When questioned, the child allegedly said that their mother had forbidden them from talking about Oakley and claimed she had “gone out into the woods and been eaten by wolves.”
That account horrified investigators and was later cited in court filings as a possible attempt by the parents to explain away the child’s disappearance.
Further evidence gathered by detectives suggested that Oakley may have been abused and confined in her own home. One sibling described seeing Oakley locked in a small space under the stairs, while another accused their mother of physical abuse,
Both parents were identified early on as persons of interest in Oakley’s disappearance. However, neither has been charged in connection with her presumed death.
In 2022, Jordan Bowers and Andrew Carlson were both convicted of child endangerment in a separate case involving their two other children. The charges stemmed from the couple’s use of controlled substances while responsible for the minors.
Bowers, who served time for that conviction, was later rearrested on unrelated identity theft charges following her release.
Despite repeated questioning, both parents have refused to provide clear information about what happened to Oakley or when she was last seen alive.
Before returning to her biological parents, Oakley had spent several years living with foster parents, who described her as a bright and affectionate child.
Her foster mother, Jamie Jo Hiles, has spoken publicly about her heartbreak and frustration with the system, arguing that Oakley’s removal from foster care and return to her biological parents occurred despite warning signs of instability.
Hiles and her husband were among those who continued to push for answers long after official searches had ended.
Under Washington state law, a person can be declared legally deceased if there is clear and convincing evidence that they are no longer alive, even in the absence of a recovered body.
In their petition, Oakley’s siblings’ attorneys wrote:
“There is no circumstance in which Oakley could still be alive after having not been seen in over four years and having last been seen at only five years old. There is no suspicion she has been kidnapped, and law enforcement suspects that Bowers and Carlson are to blame for her disappearance.”
The court agreed, formally declaring Oakley Carlson deceased, citing the overwhelming evidence that she could not have survived.
While the declaration provides legal closure, Oakley’s disappearance remains an open investigation. Law enforcement officials continue to treat it as a potential homicide case.
“There is no other explanation as to why this young girl could not be located in over four years,” the petition stated. “It is because she is, sadly, deceased.”
As of now, no arrests have been made in connection with Oakley’s disappearance, though police maintain that her parents remain the primary focus of their investigation.
For many in the Oakville community and for those who once cared for Oakley the ruling underscores a lingering pain and an enduring question: What really happened to Oakley Carlson?
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