Search for Oakley Carlson concludes, no body or remains found

GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY, Wash. — Search crews concluded their search for Oakley Carlson on Monday morning, according to the Grays Harbor County Undersheriff Brad Johansson.

Investigators are still working hard on this case, Johansson added.

Search crews combed through roughly 312 acres of one Oakville home on Friday looking for any sign of 5-year-old Oakley Carlson.

“If there’s burn piles, we’re going through the burn piles, if there’s any fresh dirt, were’ looking in fresh dirt, any crawl spaces, enclosed spaces. We’re checking everything we can possibly do,” Johansson said.

As the search concluded, court documents acquired by KIRO 7 on Friday indicate that Oakley’s siblings think she may be dead.

In court documents, one of Oakley’s siblings told an Oakville principal that “Oakley is no more,” and “there is no Oakley,” when asked about Oakley last weekend.

That principal then alerted authorities, who soon sought out her parents.

On Dec. 6, deputies arrested Andrew Carlson and Jordan Bowers, the biological parents of Oakley.

As part of the initial search of the house, detectives said “there was also blood splatter on the blinds near the front door, on the front door and a handprint on the wall in the downstairs hallways,” according to court documents.

Undersheriff Johansson said they are doing a DNA test on that substance.

On Friday, the parents were held in the Grays Harbor County Correctional Facility, with a $150,000 bail, facing charges of abandonment.

Those charges stem from the alleged neglect of one of Oakley’s siblings.

The grave concern is the well-being of Oakley as investigators have extended the length of time that Oakley has been missing.

“The parents claim the last time they saw her was November 30,” said Undersheriff Johansson. “The last time we can confirm she was seen alive was January 27, 2021. If we have to search back for a week it’s difficult, if we have to search back for the last year it’s a huge task.”

Johansson is asking the public to alert authorities if you saw Oakley between January and November.

One area of focus is a house fire that took place on Nov. 6.

Johansson said the homeowner alerted 911 dispatchers, but told authorities that firefighters were not needed because the fire was already out.

According to court documents, Andrew Carlson told detectives that Oakley lit a couch on fire, which then spread throughout the upstairs of the house.

Officials cannot confirm if Oakley was alive before or after that house fire.

A GoFundMe was set up at the time, calling for donations after the house fire.

Court documents say that Oakley’s grandparents last saw her in December 2020.

“Oakley had dark circles under her eyes, pale skin, and she had scratches or sores on her face,” said her grandmother, in an interview with detectives.

Officials said the last place Oakley was seen was at her Oakville home.

Crews plan to continue searching the area through the weekend.

“We don’t stop. In a case like this you don’t stop until it’s solved, and you continually work and work until you can bring appropriate closure,” said Johansson.

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