Investigators say the disappearance of 12-year-old Ryan “RJ” Davis is “suspicious” as a multiday search spans Caddo and Grady counties.
CHICKASHA, OK — The mother and stepfather of a missing 12-year-old Oklahoma boy were arrested late Wednesday night and early Thursday on abuse complaints as authorities broadened the search for the child last seen Jan. 2 near downtown Chickasha. The boy, Ryan “RJ” Davis, also known as Ryker, remained missing as of Saturday.
Authorities say the case has escalated quickly over the past several days, moving from local patrol checks to a coordinated, multiagency search with drones, canines and ground teams. State investigators joined the effort midweek and publicly characterized the disappearance as “suspicious.” The child’s mother, Kimberly Cole, and stepfather, George Cole, were taken into custody and booked into the Caddo County Jail on complaints that include child abuse; officials said formal charges are pending. The search now centers on rural areas between Caddo and Grady counties while tips arrive by phone and online. A $5,000 reward is being offered for information that confirms RJ’s location and leads to his safe return.
RJ was last confirmed on Jan. 2 at about 11:20 p.m., on foot near Fourth Street and Grand Avenue by the Quality Inn in Chickasha, roughly 40 miles southwest of Oklahoma City, according to police. The Chickasha Police Department issued an endangered missing advisory on Jan. 6, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation joined the next day. Late Wednesday, investigators executed search warrants connected to the family before the arrests of Kimberly and George Cole. OSBI spokesperson Hunter McKee said investigators learned of “apparent harm” to the child while he lived with the couple; he declined to detail the allegations, citing the ongoing case. “It was not a safe environment for him,” McKee said at a Thursday briefing. Chickasha Police Chief Goebel Music added, “All we want to do is lay eyes on this child, get him the medical care that he needs, and assure him, physically and emotionally, he will not be returning back to that environment.”
As of Friday, jail records showed both adults remained in Caddo County custody. McKee said charges had not yet been formally filed, a step expected after prosecutors review investigative reports. Local station records list early booking times for the pair — Kimberly Cole just before 10:30 p.m. Wednesday and George Cole shortly after midnight Thursday — on complaints that include child abuse, child sexual abuse and conspiracy. Separately, local booking logs also reference individual counts described as conspiracy and, for Kimberly Cole, a “crime against nature” entry; officials have not publicly clarified how those allegations connect to the missing-person investigation. Authorities emphasized that the top priority remains finding RJ and independently verifying his welfare.
Investigators and volunteers have searched fields, creek beds and fence lines on both sides of the Caddo–Grady county line, using drones to map low-lying areas and K-9 teams to revisit places where the boy might have walked. Officials said RJ has gone missing before, though circumstances around prior absences remain under review. Chickasha officers continued canvassing several blocks around Fourth and Grand and requested business surveillance from storefronts and motels in the area. The boy is described as 4 feet 11 inches and 85 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a red-and-black plaid shirt, dark jeans and brown steel-toe boots. Community members organized small search groups, and law enforcement asked residents to share recent outdoor camera footage with investigators.
RJ’s disappearance has drawn assistance from multiple agencies, including Chickasha police, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and OSBI. The endangered missing advisory that went out earlier in the week pushed details statewide and to bordering jurisdictions. OSBI announced a $5,000 reward on Friday for information that can confirm the child’s location and lead to his safe return. Officials said they believe RJ is alive and that several viable leads are being checked each day. Investigators said they have contacted Oklahoma’s human services agency as part of parallel safety assessments commonly conducted when children are reported missing from a home where abuse is alleged.
Before the arrests, Kimberly Cole appeared in a local television interview thanking volunteers and asking for help; since then, she and George Cole have been held without a public court appearance while prosecutors decide on charges. Authorities executed at least two search warrants tied to the family, though what was seized has not been disclosed. Police and OSBI declined to discuss any digital evidence, including phone location data or social media activity, citing investigative integrity. Detectives reiterated that they are working to verify every reported sighting from Jan. 2 onward and to determine the boy’s movements after 11 p.m. near Fourth and Grand.
Next steps include potential initial court appearances for the adults and a prosecutor’s charging decision, which could come as early as the start of next week. Officials said daily search operations will continue through the weekend with planned briefings each afternoon, weather permitting. Investigators expect to release an updated timeline of RJ’s last known contacts and locations once additional camera footage is processed. If charges are filed, hearings would be scheduled at the Caddo County Courthouse, with bond and protective-custody determinations to follow. Authorities said they will also provide an update on whether the endangered missing advisory remains active or is elevated to an Amber-type alert if new evidence warrants.
On Friday evening, clusters of residents gathered near downtown Chickasha and on gravel pull-offs west of town, watching drone teams lift and return over tree lines while K-9 handlers walked fence breaks. A motel clerk a block from Fourth and Grand said officers visited several times this week to check guest lists and ask about cameras. “Everybody’s talking about the boy,” the clerk said. “People want to help and they want answers.” A neighbor who lives two streets over said searchers stopped to ask about outbuildings and ponds behind the property. “They were polite and thorough,” he said. “They looked under every cedar and along the ditch.”
As of Saturday afternoon, RJ had not been found. Authorities said the next formal update is expected after crews complete another round of targeted searches along the Caddo–Grady county line later in the day.
Author note: Last updated January 10, 2026.