Early Background and DCYF Involvement (2013–2019)

April 2013
The Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) begins involvement with Oakley’s family after multiple reports of domestic violence, substance abuse, and neglect.

2014
Oakley’s half-sibling, BB-P, enters dependency proceedings and is placed in out-of-home care. The mother participates in substance abuse and domestic violence services. BB-P is returned to her care in 2015.

June–July 2017
DCYF receives multiple reports alleging the mother has untreated mental-health issues and that one-year-old DC (Oakley’s sibling) is not receiving necessary medical care. Allegations also cite domestic violence and the father’s methamphetamine use. A dependency petition is filed for BB-P, DC, and Oakley.

Foster Care and Dependency Period (2017–2019)

August 2017
Oakley begins living with foster parents Erik and Jamie Jo Hiles in Elma, Washington, at about nine months old.

September 22, 2017
Oakley is formally placed with Erik and Jamie Jo Hiles.

December 6, 2017
Oakley turns one.

July 2018
DCYF changes Oakley’s permanent plan to adoption.

July 30, 2018
Andrew Carlson is booked for fourth-degree assault after attacking Jordan Bowers.

November 14, 2018
Carlson is ordered by the court to obtain a domestic-violence evaluation within 90 days of release and complete all recommended treatment.

December 6, 2018
Oakley turns two.

Warnings and Reunification (2019)

March 7, 2019
Oakley returns from a supervised visit with red marks on her cheeks. Visit supervisor Brenda says she does not know what caused the injuries.

March 26, 2019
Jamie Jo Hiles emails caseworker Angela Fries and attaches photos and the visit log. No recorded response.

May 13, 2019
Carlson’s treatment provider notifies DCYF that he has failed to attend required group sessions and has been discharged for non-compliance.

May 16, 2019
DCYF files a sealed confidential report on Bowers and Carlson with the court.

May 20, 2019
Prosecutors file a petition stating Carlson failed to complete his domestic-violence evaluation or treatment.

July–September 2019
Carlson attends additional court hearings on the matter.

September 30, 2019
DCYF informs the Hiles family that Oakley will be returned to her biological parents in January 2020.

October 11, 2019
The Hileses meet with DCYF staff at the Aberdeen office to express concern about the expedited reunification. Staff respond that “she isn’t your daughter” and “being poor isn’t a reason for someone to not have their children.”

October 19, 2019
Oakley has her first unsupervised visit with Bowers and Carlson.

October 26, 2019
Oakley tells her foster parents she saw Bowers hit Carlson. Fries replies there are “no concerns.”

November 6, 2019
Fries emails confirming Oakley will reunify with her parents even earlier than planned, with a new date of November 29.

November 9, 2019
Oakley spends her first overnight visit with Bowers and Carlson.

November 13, 2019
Assault 4 charges against Carlson are dismissed.

November 17, 2019
Erik Hiles emails DCYF staff about the accelerated timeline. There is no reply.

November 29, 2019
Oakley is officially reunified with Bowers and Carlson after 26 months in foster care.

December 6, 2019
Oakley turns three.

Reunified Household and Decline in Oversight (2020–2021)

June 3, 2020
DCYF closes Oakley’s dependency case.

July 27, 2020
Court records cite an earlier CPS report expressing concern that Bowers and Carlson falsified treatment documentation and neglected a medically complex sibling.

August 2020
Last refill of a sibling’s prescribed medication.

September 2020–December 2021
Parents stop administering that medication altogether.

December 6, 2020
Oakley turns four.

December 25, 2020
Oakley visits grandparents Fred and Kate Carlson. Her grandmother later tells police Oakley “didn’t look well,” noting dark circles and sores on her face.

Renewed Concerns and Final Sightings (2021)

January 26, 2021
Jamie Jo Hiles contacts DCYF after seeing a photo of Oakley with a black eye. Intake worker Morgan Artis dismisses the report.

January 27, 2021
DCYF conducts a home visit and records a “verified sighting.”

February 10, 2021
The Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office logs this date as Oakley’s last credible sighting by anyone outside her immediate family.

March 24–31, 2021
DCYF calls Jamie Jo Hiles again but closes the case without seeing Oakley.

November 6, 2021
Carlson calls dispatch to report a fire at the family home, claiming Oakley started it with a lighter.

November 10, 2021
School principal Jessica Swift visits the home and is told Oakley is “in her room.” She does not see the child.

November 17–19, 2021
A GoFundMe is created for Bowers after the fire. Jamie Jo Hiles emails and calls DCYF to report the suspicious fundraiser but receives no response.

November 24, 2021
Swift returns to deliver supplies and sees the other children but not Oakley.

November 30, 2021
Parents later claim this was the last time they saw Oakley alive.

December 4–5, 2021
Swift hosts Oakley’s sibling for a sleepover. The child says, “Oakley is no more,” prompting Swift to contact law enforcement.

Law-Enforcement Discovery and Arrests (December 2021)

December 6, 2021

• 10 a.m.: Tumwater Police interview Bowers and Carlson at a hotel.
• 12 p.m.: Forensic analysis later shows Bowers’s phone was factory-reset around this time.
• 3:31 p.m.: Parents return home and report Oakley missing.
• 5:10 p.m.: Bowers is booked for obstruction and suspicion of manslaughter.
• 9:30 p.m.: Carlson is booked on similar charges.
• DCYF contacts Jamie Jo Hiles about possible emergency placement for Oakley’s siblings. This day is Oakley’s fifth birthday.

December 7–10, 2021
Searches of the family’s 300-acre property take place with state and federal assistance. Tests later confirm methamphetamine exposure in both younger siblings.

December 12–17, 2021
The “Oakley’s Law” petition garners thousands of signatures and legislators begin discussing reforms.

December 30, 2021
Bowers and Carlson are charged with abandonment of a dependent person. Rallies are held outside the Grays Harbor County Courthouse.

Judicial and Investigative Developments (2022–2023)

January 10, 2022
Both parents plead not guilty to abandonment charges.

January 20–28, 2022
Prosecutors add two counts of child endangerment after methamphetamine results.

February 7, 2022
Both plead not guilty to endangerment charges.

March 14–28, 2022
Carlson pleads guilty and is sentenced to 12 months.

April 6, 2022
Bowers is denied telephonic visits with her children.

April 8–22, 2022
Bowers pleads guilty and is sentenced to 20 months.

May 27, 2022
Governor Jay Inslee requests that the Office of the Family and Children’s Ombuds (OFCO) review DCYF’s handling of the Carlson case.

June–July 2022
Bowers is transferred to state prison. Advocacy groups and foster parents continue to testify before oversight boards.

September 9, 2022
OFCO releases its official report. It finds DCYF acted within policy and law but notes deficiencies in visitation support and reunification planning. It confirms Oakley was in foster care from 2017 to 2019 before being returned to her biological parents.

August 1, 2023
The Washington Court of Appeals (Division II) issues a published opinion allowing the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office to access sealed dependency records for its criminal investigation. Records remain sealed from the public but can be used by law enforcement under RCW 13.50.010(18).

Recent Status and Oversight (2023–2025)

January 15, 2023
Bowers is released from prison and re-arrested for identity-theft and fraud charges.

January 18, 2023
House Bill 1397, known as The Oakley Carlson Act, is introduced to strengthen standards for child reunification following abuse or neglect cases.

February 10, 2023
On the second anniversary of Oakley’s last sighting, supporters hold a rally at the Washington Capitol to promote the bill.

February 17, 2023
The bill receives a hearing but dies in committee.

May 3, 2023
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children releases an age-progression image showing Oakley as she might appear at age six.

July 24, 2023
Jordan Bowers pleads guilty to three counts of first-degree identity theft and one count of second-degree identity theft.

August 7, 2023
Judge Katherine Svoboda sentences Bowers to 43 months in prison, followed by 12 months of community custody.

September 13, 2023
Bowers is transferred to the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor.

2024–2025
Oakley remains missing and presumed deceased, although no remains have been located. The Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office continues to treat the case as an active criminal investigation. Advocacy groups, legislators, and the Hiles family continue to campaign for passage of the Oakley Carlson Act and broader DCYF reform.

Primary Sources

• Washington Office of the Family and Children’s Ombuds, Investigation Report Regarding Oakley Carlson (September 9, 2022).
• Washington Court of Appeals, Division II, In the Matter of the Welfare of O.C. and D.C. (August 1, 2023, No. 56609-5-II).
• Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office press statements, 2021–2024.
• Governor Jay Inslee correspondence to OFCO, May 27, 2022.
• Verified court filings and DCYF documentation referenced by oversight boards and the OFCO report.