Detectives have 'new evidence' against parents of missing Oakville girl

The Grays Harbor Prosecutor’s Office has new evidence against the biological parents of Oakley Carlson, a five-year-old girl who has been missing for nearly a year.

Carlson’s biological parents, Andrew Carlson and Jordan Bowers, are currently being held in jail on charges unrelated to her disappearance. Instead, they are being held for not giving Carlson’s six-year-old sister the medication she needs.

As of Thursday, the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office has presented new evidence to the prosecutor’s office, which involves Oakley’s sister.

The Sheriff’s Office told FOX 13 that these new charges may help keep Carlson’s parents behind bars while they continue their investigation. Detectives cannot reveal exactly what that evidence is until formal charges are filed.

Authorities say they have been working nonstop since Dec. 6, when Carlson was first reported missing.

"They are completely invested, like I said, in all cases when you have a small child involved it hits home, some of these detectives have small children at home ,so it’s even more personal to them," said Grays Harbor Undersheriff Brad Johansson. "Overall, they are trying to keep an open mind in all avenues to come to a resolution. Ultimately, we just want to know what happened to Oakley."

The sheriff’s office says they have all six of their detectives working this case.

Carlson was last seen Feb. 10, 2021. She previously lived with foster parents, but her biological parents eventually regained custody of her, leaving many to question whether the system failed Oakley Carlson.

Editor's note: FOX 13 is looking into the push to fix Washington's foster care system, and the possibility of an ‘Oakley’s Law.' Reporter Hana Kim is taking your questions directly to state lawmakers. We will bring you their responses as they come.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Did the system fail Oakley Carlson? 5-year-old Washington girl remains missing

RELATED: Oakley Carlson's parents appear in court for alleged neglect of other child

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