By John Dobberstein, Editor
In the face of mounting criticism over the handling of the Elijah Woolley death investigation, Wagoner County District Attorney Jack Thorp has suggested his office isn’t done with the case.
In a lengthy statement released to KOTV Friday, Thorp claimed that the 14-month-old boy’s death in 2018 is still “under investigation.”
The boy’s grandparents, Bill and Lisa Woolley of Broken Arrow, were initially charged with Elijah’s death but the charges were later dropped after new evidence came to light that forced prosecutors to reevaluate their case.
The Woolleys have since been trying to re-gain custody of their other grandson and Elijah’s brother, Clayton, who has been placed in foster care and reportedly no longer under Department of Human Services supervision. The Woolleys have said they have never been served with any orders or documentation about the placement or been given a hearing.
Thorp wrote that while he was “restricted” on what he could comment on with the case, “I would like to clear a few matters up. The Woolleys were not found to be innocent in a court of law. They were and continue to be “presumed innocent,” Thorp said. “That is a presumption that they continue to enjoy, and will remain until and when the case against them is proven by proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Thorp said the investigation of the boy’s death “is active and continuing. Should some change occur regarding this matter, the only statements that our office will offer will be in a court of law.”
But the Woolleys on Sunday disputed there is any ongoing investigation. They pointed to a statement from Thorp to the media in 2021 when he said, “I do not have an active investigation into the allegations of child sexual abuse.”
“Jack opens and shuts investigations according to how it best serves him so that he doesn’t have to answer things,” Lisa Woolley told the Sentinel.
But Thorp says he feels the case surrounding Elijah’s death has been misrepresented publicly.
“I do have quite a bit of knowledge about this matter, and it is inconsistent with the narrative that has been presented to the public,” he wrote. “I would also disagree with the recitation of facts specifically outlined in their latest press release regarding the Wagoner County investigation. I can definitively state that this matter is under investigation.”
Thorp also addressed allegations that Clayton Woolley has been abused by his foster mother and that the Broken Arrow Police Department did only a cursory investigation of the matter.
On Friday, supporters of the Woolley’s push for reunification said a whistleblower has come forward alleging Clayton’s current guardian has bragged about abusing the child by locking him in a closet as a form of punishment, withholding food or feeding him bread with only mustard, and hitting him below the waist so that any marks are covered by clothing, among other things.
BAPD has declined to discuss any specifics about its handling of the complaints as law enforcement records involving juveniles are confidential under Oklahoma law and are not subject to public disclosure.
“In accordance with state law, BAPD will not speak about a specific case involving a juvenile, but we will comment on our process and how seriously we take allegations of child abuse in our community,” the department said.
“BAPD works in partnership with the Department of Human Services to ensure that full, fair, and complete investigations are conducted into allegations of child abuse in Broken Arrow. When appropriate, charges are forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for review.
“The safety of children is our top priority,” the department said.
The department added there have been multiple requests to the BAPD and city leadership, “to circumvent state law” regarding the juvenile case, which BAPD believed at the time was under DHS authority. The Woolley family says it received confirmation that this is no longer the case.
“BAPD will steadfastly follow the law and will not succumb to the pressure of these third-party actors,” the statement said. “We will continue to adhere to state statute regarding juvenile confidentiality while working cooperatively with DHS to ensure the safety and welfare of all children.“
Thorp said he is aware of the allegations but the case is in Tulsa County and he is not “intimately aware of the specifics of that investigation. I would expect that should anything of note be discovered, their findings would be submitted to the Tulsa County District Attorney.
“I have great faith in the Broken Arrow Police Department, and their law enforcement officers to conduct a quality investigation into any allegation,” he added. “The department is generally regarded as one of the finest law enforcement organizations in the State of Oklahoma and I am well aware of the training and expertise their officers receive.”
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