Campaign launched to keep Oakley Carlson in the spotlight

With the impending July 25 release of Jordan Bowers, the biological mother of missing child Oakley Carlson and one of two primary suspects in her disappearance, Oakley’s foster family and national advocates are launching a series of high-visibility awareness campaigns to demand justice and accountability.

Oakley, an 8-year-old girl from Oakville, was last credibly seen on Feb. 10, 2021, when she was just 4-years-old. Tragically, Oakley was not reported missing until 10 months later, on Dec. 6, 2021. In the month prior, a fire occurred at her family home, prompting concern from a school principal who had brought donated supplies to the family. Upon realizing Oakley was not present, the principal contacted authorities, leading to a welfare check. Oakley’s biological parents, Jordan Bowers and Andrew Carlson, were subsequently taken into custody but refused to provide any credible information about her whereabouts.

Bowers and Carlson were initially charged with first-degree manslaughter; however, due to insufficient evidence, the charges were later dismissed. They were then charged and convicted of two counts of child endangerment for exposing Oakley’s siblings to methamphetamine. On March 14, 2022, Carlson pleaded guilty and was sentenced to the maximum of twelve months in jail, though he was released after serving less than eight months on August 3, 2022. On April 22, 2022, Bowers also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to twenty months in prison. Upon her release on January 15, 2023, she was immediately taken into custody on unrelated identity theft charges. In July 2023, she accepted a plea deal and was sentenced to forty-three months in prison. Despite their convictions, neither parent has cooperated with authorities regarding Oakley’s disappearance and remain suspects.

The billboard initiative, led by Light The Way Missing Persons Advocacy Project and The Gabby Petito Foundation, includes 13 digital billboards across Washington, a renewed petition to the governor, and a 25-day social media series titled “25 Truths About Jordan Bowers” on Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). The goal is to keep Oakley’s name front and center and to remind the public and officials that her case remains unresolved.

The billboards, donated by longtime partners Parker Outdoor Inc. and Pacific Outdoor Advertising, feature Oakley’s smiling face alongside an age-progression image of what she might look like today. They serve as both a memorial and a call to action, drawing attention to systemic failures within Washington’s child protection services that allowed Oakley to be returned to a dangerous environment.

‘I’m incredibly grateful to those who continue to shine a light on Oakley’s story, including Parker Outdoor Inc. and Pacific Outdoor Advertising,” said Jamie Jo Hiles, Oakley’s foster mother. “Their support means the world to us. With Jordan Bowers’ release from prison, I can only hope she has taken time to truly reflect on the gravity — and finality — of what happened to Oakley, and that she will now come forward and cooperate with investigators to tell the truth.

“At the same time, it has been deeply frustrating to feel ignored by the governor’s office. Despite repeated requests for an independent investigation into how Oakley’s case was handled by Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families, we have received no support. We are not just asking for answers — we are demanding accountability so that no other child suffers the same fate as Oakley.”

“This campaign represents a call for transparency, accountability and change,” said Shayna Richard, founder of Light The Way Missing Persons Advocacy Project and credentialed victim advocate for Oakley Carlson. “We must take meaningful action to ensure that no other child is failed by the very systems designed to protect them.”

To further build momentum, Light The Way is seeking 1,200 more signatures to reach its goal of 10,000 on a petition urging Gov. Bob Ferguson to review the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families handling of Oakley’s case.