5-Year-Old Washington Girl Declared Dead Four Years After Disappearance —’Eaten By Wolves’ Claimed

OAKVILLE, WASH. — A heartbreaking mystery that once gripped Washington state has taken a grim turn after 5-year-old Oakley Carlson, missing since 2021, was officially declared legally dead this week — even though her body has never been found.

The child’s disappearance was once the subject of bizarre speculation, including a rumor that she had been “eaten by wolves” near her rural Oakville home. But investigators now say the real story appears to be far more disturbing — one involving neglect, drugs, and parental deception.

Oakley was last seen alive in December 2021, but her disappearance wasn’t reported until days later, sparking a massive search across Grays Harbor County. Despite extensive ground and air searches, police never located any trace of the little girl.

This week, a Pacific County Superior Court judge declared Oakley legally dead, more than four years after she vanished, following a petition filed by her surviving siblings’ attorneys, according to The Olympian.

Parents Under Suspicion From the Start

Oakley’s parents, Andrew Carlson and Jordan Bowers, quickly became the primary focus of the investigation. Both were arrested shortly after she was reported missing — not for murder, but for child endangerment involving a controlled substance, a charge related to their two other children who were found in unsafe conditions.

Authorities described the parents’ stories as inconsistent and evasive. They offered no credible explanation for Oakley’s disappearance, claiming at various points that she was “fine” or living elsewhere — assertions that police could not verify.

“Despite years of investigation, there’s been no physical evidence that Oakley is alive,” a Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said at the time. “But we also haven’t found her remains. It’s a haunting case that’s never stopped weighing on this community.”

Foster Care and a Failed Return Home

Before her disappearance, Oakley had been placed in foster care due to earlier reports of neglect and instability in her home. By 2019, after two years with foster parents, she was returned to her biological parents — a decision that has since come under heavy scrutiny.

Child welfare advocates have criticized the state’s oversight, noting that Oakley’s foster family had expressed concerns about her safety.

“The system failed Oakley,” one family friend told reporters. “She was thriving in foster care, and when she was sent back, everyone feared something bad might happen.”

Still No Closure — or Justice

Even after the court’s declaration of death, Oakley’s remains have never been found, and neither parent has been charged directly in connection with her disappearance.

The Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office says the case remains open, with investigators continuing to seek new leads. Officials confirmed that forensic searches, interviews, and evidence reviews have been ongoing as recently as this year.

“We’re still searching for answers and for justice,” investigators said. “This isn’t over.”

For now, Oakley’s name stands as a solemn reminder of what can happen when warning signs go unheeded — and when truth is buried beneath tragedy.

Her surviving siblings, who brought the legal action to declare her death, remain under the care of guardians.

For more updates on this case and other national justice stories, visit SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.