Missing 5-year-old's sister says Oakley Carlson 'is no more,' was told by mother not to speak of her

Court documents shed light on events before Oakley Carlson's disappearance

FOX 13 reporter Jennifer Lee breaks down what Oakley's siblings told investigators and what led police to find out the 5-year-old was missing

OAKVILLE, Wash. - As the search for 5-year-old Oakley Carlson continues, her siblings may have shed light on what happened while speaking with law enforcement.

According to Brad Johansson, the Undersheriff for the Grays Harbor County Sheriff's Office, Oakley's 6-year-old sister told authorities during an interview that her sister "was no longer around."

Johansson did not specify if the 6-year-old sister elaborated on that statement.

However, court documents reveal Oakley's sister and brother shared some disturbing information with investigators.

Detectives learned in an interview with the 9-year-old brother that Oakley's mother, Jordan Bowers, would "put Oakley in the closet, possibly under a stairwell" and that he "has witnessed Jordan beat Oakley with a belt and has been worried about her starving."

In a forensic interview with a child advocate, Oakley's 6-year-old sister shared 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," according to court documents.

The search for Oakley began earlier this month when a person had been in contact with the family several times after a fire in their home, but hadn't seen Oakley in all that time.

Court documents said that person was a principal in the Oakville School District whose daughter is friends with Oakley's 6-year-old sister.

"When she was trying to hear those buzzy-type words, those things that as an educator make you pause. She did exactly as she was supposed to. She followed the protocol and first thing Monday morning they got a hold of the proper authorities and then the ball started rolling, so that’s kind of how all this came about," said school superintendent Rich Staley. "Everybody is in grief. Everybody is struggling a little bit with just trying to hold out hope for a good outcome."

After their arrest, parents Jordan Bowers and Andrew Carlson said the last time they saw Oakley alive was on Nov. 30, according to Johansson. The parents have given no indication that Oakley is in the care of an adult and cannot account for her whereabouts or condition, according to prosecutors.

However, Johansson said that law enforcement and those close to Oakley haven't been able to account for her whereabouts since January.

Authorities want to talk to anyone who may have seen Oakley alive in the last year, whether in her hometown of Oakville or elsewhere. Police are trying to put together a timeline of when she may have been seen last, and anything helps.

"The likelihood of Oakley Carlson being alive is not very good at this point," Johansson said.

He went on to explain that the time frame of when she was missing, her age and the fact that she does not appear to be in the care of an adult, does not make for a good outlook of the situation.

However, he said law enforcement will continue to investigate until they solve the case.

Authorities say the circumstances of her disappearance are suspicious and Bowers and Carlson were initially taken into custody on investigation of manslaughter.

Since their arrest, they have been preliminarily charged with second-degree abandonment in connection to an incident involving another one of their children.

Johansson said that even if Oakley is not found at all, the parents could still face manslaughter or murder charges, but that would be up to the prosecutor's office.

If you have any information that may be helpful in this case please contact detectives at the non-emergency number at 360-533-8765 or Detective Sgt. Paul Logan 360-964-1729. You can also email sodetectives@co.grays-harbor.wa.us.