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It’s been almost four years since five-year-old Oakley Carlson was reported missing from Grays Harbor County.
Now, Pacific County Judge Donald Richter has declared her legally dead.
The change in status came after attorneys filed the petition on behalf of Oakley’s three siblings and their guardians.
Oakley Carlson declared dead years after going missing
The backstory:
Oakley’s foster mother, Jamie Jo Hiles, raised Oakley until she was forced by the State Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) to give her to biological parents, Jordan Bowers and Andrew Carlson, according to the Seattle law firm that reached out to her months ago.
She says they are preparing to file a lawsuit against DCYF — but she has declined to participate, saying she wants the focus to remain on honoring Oakley’s life and on hold Bowers and Carlson accountable.
Neither has cooperated with detectives in the search for their missing daughter.
What they’re saying:
Hiles did not know until recently that the petition had been signed on July 11.
On Monday, she shared her reaction on the Where is Oakley Carlson Facebook page, saying:
“Imagine being a parent and finding out from someone else that your child has been declared dead. The pain and shock of that moment are indescribable. No parent should ever have to experience that kind of disregard. This effort has been described as a way to hold dcyf accountable, but from where I stand it looks more like a pursuit of financial gain than a pursuit of justice.”
Meanwhile, Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s detectives say that declaring Oakley dead does not change their investigation.
What’s next:
They are working with the prosecutor’s office and considering charging Bowers and Carlson in a no-body homicide case.
No decisions have been made, but they are discussing it.
Bowers was released from prison on September 23 after serving time for fraud and identity theft.
Both she and andrew carlson served time for exposing oakley’s siblings to meth.
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David.Rose@fox.com (David Rose)
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