The search for a missing 12-year-old boy out of Chickasha, Oklahoma, has taken a grim legal turn, even as the child has now been found safe. While the community breathes easier knowing Ryan “RJ” Davis Jr. is alive, his mother is facing a felony count of “crime against nature” and other serious allegations tied to child abuse.
The case has quickly shifted from a frantic missing-child hunt to a deeper look at what was happening inside this family, and how long warning signs may have been there. Investigators are now trying to untangle whether the alleged abuse and the boy’s disappearance are connected, and what accountability will look like for the adults who were supposed to protect him.
The disappearance of Ryan “RJ” Davis and the frantic search
Ryan “RJ” Davis Jr., also known as Ryker Cole, was reported missing out of Chickasha after relatives and neighbors realized they had not seen the 12-year-old for days. He was last confirmed seen in Chickasha on Jan. 2, a detail that became central as investigators tried to reconstruct his movements and understand how a child could seemingly vanish from a small Oklahoma community. Social media posts amplified his case, with one widely shared video describing 12-year-old Ryan Davis as missing from Chickasha, Oklahom, and urging people to spread the word.
As the hours stretched into days, state investigators joined local police, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, or OSBI, took a lead role in what they called a “suspicious disappearance.” Officials publicly stressed that they believed RJ was still alive, but OSBI spokesman Hunter McKee also underlined how troubling it was that no one could say where he had been since early in the month. Another update shared that law enforcement had not yet confirmed whether any arrests were directly connected to RJ’s disappearance, while still pushing the public to call a dedicated tip line at 1-800-522-8017, a plea repeated in an investigators clip.
Mother and stepfather arrested on abuse and “crime against nature” charges
Even before RJ was located, the focus of the investigation swung sharply toward his home life. His biological mother, Kimberly Cole, and his stepfather, George Cole, were arrested on a Wednesday as OSBI and local agencies dug into a mix of child abuse and child sexual abuse complaints. Authorities said Ryan “RJ” Davis was last seen in Chickasha, Okla, and confirmed that Kimberly Cole is his biological mother and George is his stepfather. At that stage, investigators were careful to say it was “unknown” whether the arrests were directly tied to the boy’s disappearance, but the nature of the allegations made it clear this was no routine welfare check.
In Caddo County, Okla, the case escalated quickly into formal charges. Online records show that George and Kimberly Cole were officially charged in CADDO COUNTY, Okla, with child abuse and child sexual abuse complaints, and that Kimberly is also facing a felony count described as a “crime against nature,” while George is accused of conspiracy, according to county filings. Earlier, both had been booked into the Caddo County Jail after their arrest in CADDO CO., Okla, with officials specifying that Kimberly was charged with a crime against nature and George with conspiracy, details laid out in an update on the mom and stepfather.
State authorities later described how, after they joined the investigation into RJ’s disappearance, the mother and stepfather were arrested for alleged child abuse and child sexual abuse, with OSBI spokesperson Hunter McKee explaining that additional charges could still be filed as evidence is reviewed, according to a state briefing. Another social media update framed the developments as “TWO UPDATES ON #MissingChild,” noting that charges were now filed and a reward was being offered, and identifying “Kimberly Kay Cole, the mother” and “George Cole, the stepfather,” while again citing Hunter McKee as the OSBI spokesperson in the TWO UPDATES clip.
Found safe, but a family under a harsh spotlight
After days of uncertainty, OSBI officials announced that the Missing Chickasha boy had been found alive, a rare piece of good news in a case that had grown darker by the hour. Investigators said the child was located about 24 miles from Chickasha, Oklahom, and confirmed he was safe, a relief shared in both local coverage and a briefing where OSBI officials spoke about the outcome. National outlets echoed that the missing Oklahoma boy had been found safe after his mother, Kimberly Cole, and stepfather, George Cole, were arrested for alleged child abuse, noting again that he had last been seen in Chickasha before being discovered miles away, as detailed in an Oklahoma boy update.
Even with RJ safe, the legal and emotional fallout is only beginning. Officials in CADDO COUNTY, Okla, have emphasized that the parents of the missing 12-year-old Oklahoma boy at the center of what they called a “suspicious disappearance” are now formally charged, and that the child was last seen in Chickasha before the arrests, according to county records. Another report underscored that the child was last seen Jan. 2 in Chickasha, which is about 24 miles from where he was found, and that law enforcement held a Thursday news conference to announce the arrests of his mother, Kimberly Cole, and stepfather, George Cole, for alleged child abuse, as laid out in a separate Oklahom account.
Family members have been left to speak publicly for RJ while he remains in state care. A great aunt pleaded for the 12-year-old’s safe return and urged anyone with information to come forward, stressing that at that point law enforcement had not confirmed whether the parents’ arrests were directly connected to his disappearance, a message captured in a Hear the clip. Another update on the case reiterated that Ryan “RJ” Davis was missing from CHICKASHA, Okla, and that Oklahoma authorities were treating his case as a top priority, with state agents joining local police to search for the boy and question his parents, as described in a The Parents briefing.
Supporting sources: Oklahoma missing boy:.
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