Jordan Bowers, mother of missing 4-year-old Oakley Carlson, was released Tuesday from the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor after completing her sentence for identity theft and theft charges unrelated to her daughter’s disappearance.
Bowers had been incarcerated since September 2023 following her guilty plea to four counts of identity theft and theft in Grays Harbor County Superior Court. She will remain under community supervision for one year as part of her sentence completion.
Oakley Carlson was last seen in February 2021 when she was 4 years old. The Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office continues investigating her disappearance as a suspected homicide, with both Bowers and Oakley’s father Andrew Carlson remaining suspects in the case.
Concerns about Oakley’s welfare emerged after her foster parents returned her to her biological parents in 2019. Detectives report that both parents have failed to cooperate with the investigation and provided conflicting and false statements about Oakley’s whereabouts.
No charges have been filed directly related to Oakley’s disappearance, as neither the child nor any remains have been discovered despite extensive investigation efforts.
Both parents were subsequently arrested and convicted of child abuse in a separate case unconnected to Oakley’s disappearance, highlighting a pattern of concerning behavior toward children in their care.
Jamie Jo Hiles, Oakley’s former foster mother, expressed frustration with Bowers’ release and the ongoing lack of resolution in the case. “I think it definitely sucks because I think that I’m frustrated that there hasn’t been any kind of justice for Oakley,” Hiles said.
Hiles hopes Bowers’ return to the community might prompt witnesses to come forward with information. “I hope that they just keep seeing Oakley’s face and maybe they just are like, Okay, I need to come forward with what I know,” she added.
Oakley would now be 8 years old and entering third grade if alive. Hiles emphasized the importance of maintaining public awareness of the case to keep pressure on potential witnesses and investigators.
“But I think that just keeping her relevant just kind of refreshes everybody’s memory that yes, she is still out there and it’s important to keep her name alive,” Hiles said.
The reward for information leading to Oakley’s discovery has increased to $100,000, reflecting the community’s commitment to finding answers about the missing child’s fate.
The case represents one of Washington’s most prominent missing child investigations, with law enforcement maintaining active efforts despite the passage of nearly four years since Oakley’s disappearance.
Anyone with information about Oakley Carlson’s disappearance is urged to contact the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office at 360-964-1729.
