Missing 4-year-old Oklahoma Girl Athena Brownfield: Authorities Call Search a “Recovery Operation”
Oklahoma authorities have changed the search for Athena Brownfield, who has been missing for almost a week, from a search to a “recovery operation.” The toddler’s body parts were looked for in Caddo County by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP).
On January 10, 2023, Brownfield was reported missing after her 5-year-old sister, Alysia Adams, was found alone outside the family’s home in Cyril, Oklahoma. The mail carrier went to the Cyril Police Department and asked them to look into it.
Ivon Adams, Brownfield’s caretaker, is 36 years old. On Thursday, she was arrested in Arizona on a charge of child neglect. Adams was charged with murder in the first degree on Friday. The OSBI says that Adams is being held in the Maricopa County jail in Phoenix until he can be sent to Oklahoma.
Alysia Adams, 31, was arrested in Oklahoma earlier on two counts of child neglect, according to a statement released by the bureau late Thursday night. The OSBI said that Alysia Adams is married to Ivon Adams. On Friday, she was still being held in custody in Caddo County, Oklahoma.
The bureau didn’t give any more details about the arrests. It wasn’t clear if either Adams had a lawyer representing them. According to the bureau, Alysia and Ivon Adams took care of the girls, and Athena’s sister was put in protective custody.
When Athena went missing, the police think she was wearing a hoodie with a butterfly on it. Volunteers and several law enforcement agencies have been helping with the search. A helicopter, boats, all-terrain vehicles, a specially trained ground team, and surveillance video from around Cyril have also been used.
The city of Cyril has also stopped picking up trash while police look for clues. The FBI said that agents in Oklahoma and other states were following up on tips.
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