A week after 12-year-old Ryan “RJ” Davis vanished from a hotel his parents were living in, police and community volunteers have ramped up efforts to locate the boy, with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) announcing a $5,000 reward for information leading to his safe return.

As of Friday, the boy’s mother and stepfather remained in police custody on child abuse and sexual abuse charges, with investigators describing his home environment as unsafe.

Davis was last seen around 11:20 p.m. Central Time on January 2 walking near Fourth Street and East Grand Avenue near a Quality Inn in Chickasha, Oklahoma. He is described as standing 4 feet, 11 inches tall, weighing about 85 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. At the time, he was wearing a red and black plaid shirt, dark jeans, and brown steel-toed boots, according to local reporting.

The boy’s disappearance prompted an Endangered Missing Advisory from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol on January 6, followed by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation joining the investigation the next day and classifying the case as a “suspicious disappearance.”

“When it gets to a point where it’s multiple days and we’re still not sure where this boy had gone, it’s suspicious,” OSBI Public Information Officer Hunter McKee said during a news conference.

Investigators said they believe Davis is still alive and are pursuing multiple leads, with tips continuing to come in as of press time.

On January 10, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation urged residents in the area to review home surveillance, doorbell, business, and wildlife cameras dating back to January 2 for any footage that could help locate the boy.

Police arrested Davis’ biological mother, Kimberly Cole, 33, and stepfather, George Cole, 43, late Wednesday in connection with the case. Online jail records from Caddo County show George Cole facing a conspiracy charge, while Kimberly Cole was booked on a count of “crime against nature” – a rarely used legal statute historically associated with severe sexual offenses.

Prior to her arrest, Kimberly Cole spoke to KOCO News, attempting to “plead” with the public for her son’s return, yet not providing any more information on where she thought he may be: “I want to thank everybody that has helped and anybody that wants to continue to help. It’s needed and wanted. We just want our son back home. We want him back.”

The family had been staying at the hotel in Chickasha after reportedly living in a home in nearby Cement, Oklahoma, which investigators said was not a safe environment for the child. On Thursday, law enforcement searched a Caddo County property linked to the Coles, as part of ongoing efforts focused in Caddo and Grady counties, including areas near Highway 92 and Lake Burtschi.

Chickasha Police Chief Goebel Music said during a news conference this week that, if found, Davis would not be returned to his parents’ custody.

“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 that he will not be returning back to that environment,” Music said.

Dozens of community volunteers gathered at Chickasha’s Leg Lamp statue before fanning out to search country roads, lakes, and fields for the missing boy this week. Organizers searched and distributed flyers with a direct message to the boy: His parents are in jail, he is not in trouble, and he won’t have to go back home.

The OSBI’s reward, announced Friday, is available to anyone providing information that confirms Davis’ location and leads to his safe recovery.

Anyone with information is urged to call 911, the OSBI tip line at 1-800-522-8017, or email [email protected], or contact the Chickasha Police Department at 405-222-6050.

The Dallas Express will continue to monitor this developing story and provide updates as new information emerges.