After multiple attempts to provide an evaluation and treatment plan, Andrew Carlson, a prime suspect in the disappearance of his 5-year-old biological daughter Oakley Carlson, appeared in person at the Grays Harbor Superior Court on Monday, Oct. 3, for a review hearing for re-arraignment. He was found to be in compliance with his court order although he will continue to be monitored.
This was the fourth hearing in as many weeks for Carlson, who was released from jail on Aug. 3 following an eight-month long sentence after pleading guilty to two felony charges of child endangerment unrelated to Oakley. Carlson, who appeared via video call at his last review hearing on Sept. 26, was mandated by Judge Katherine L. Svoboda to appear in person for the Oct. 3 hearing after failing to provide his chemical dependency evaluation to the judge and his defense attorney Johnathan Feste.
With the in-person hearing mandated and threats of punishment if failing to comply, this prompted more than a dozen local community members advocating for Oakley to wait outside the courthouse with signs, eager to ask Carlson about the whereabouts of his missing daughter.
When Carlson and a member of his defense counsel, Karrie Young, left the courthouse following the hearing, they were greeted by the community members with statements and questions such as, “Do the right thing” and “How do you live with yourself?” Carlson did not respond to any member of the crowd and walked away.
Although Carlson has met the requirements of his court order and is essentially a free man, he is still barred from having any contact with minors under 18 except for his biological kids.
Oakley’s biological parents, Jordan Bowers and Carlson, claim they last saw her on Nov. 30, 2021, but the last time detectives with the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office can definitively confirm Oakley was seen alive was nine months prior, on Feb. 10, 2021.
They have not cooperated with the investigation into Oakley’s disappearance or with efforts to find her.
Both were convicted on unrelated child endangerment concerning their other children earlier this year.
A reward fund for information leading to Oakley’s whereabouts had reached $80,000 as of early September.
The reward fund is managed by Light the Way Missing Persons Advocacy Project.
More information on Oakley’s case and opportunities to help with the search effort can be found at https://justiceforoakley.wixsite.com/home.
Anyone with information that could aid law enforcement in their search for Oakley is encouraged to contact the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office at 360-533-8765 or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST. To speak to a detective directly, contact Detective Sgt. Paul Logan at 360-964-1729 or email sodetectives@co.grays-harbor.wa.us.
Information from The Chronicle’s archives was included in this report.
