Athena Brownfield was reported missing on January 10, 2023. A postal carrier found her five-year-old sister with no adult supervision outside their home in Cyril, Oklahoma. The postal carrier immediately notified Cyril Police Department which launched an investigation.
Oklahoma authorities said Monday, that the search for Athena Brownfield is now considered a “recovery operation”. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation with its partners at the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) has searched for the remains of the missing little girl in the areas of Caddo County.
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Ivon Adams, 36, Brownfield’s caretaker was arrested last Thursday in Arizona and was charged with one count of child neglect. Adams was brought to Maricopa County jail in Phoenix pending extradition to Oklahoma. On Friday, the charges were upgraded to first-degree murder.
According to the bureau, Alysia Adams, 31, married to Ivon Adams, was also arrested and was charged with two counts of child neglect. Alysia Adams remained jailed in Oklahoma’s Caddo County. No further details were released regarding the arrests.
Alysia and Ivon Adams had been taking care of the two girls, and Athena’s sister was already taken into protective custody.
Volunteers and law enforcement agencies have been helping in the search. Authorities believed Athena was wearing a hoodie when she disappeared.
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