Athena Brownfield: Man Arrested in Phoenix Beat Missing Oklahoma Girl to Death, Court Documents Say

PHOENIX – A man arrested in Phoenix in connection with the disappearance of a missing 4-year-old Oklahoma the girl allegedly beat her to death before burying her body.

Ivon Adams, 36, was arrested January 12 near 67th Avenue and Camelback Road. on a felony warrant for first-degree murder and child neglect in connection with the disappearance of Athena Brownfield. Adams’ wife, Alicia, was arrested in Oklahoma on two counts of child neglect.

Ivon refused extradition to Oklahoma and remains in jail in Maricopa County pending extradition.

“I want to get out there and take care of it,” Adams told the judge during a hearing in Maricopa County Court. “I need to get out there and fight it.”

Alicia is in jail in Caddo County, Oklahoma.

The couple look after Brownfield, who was went missing from Cyril, Oklahoma on January 10.. A postal worker found Athena’s 5-year-old sister wandering alone near their home and alerted the police. The authorities then determined that Athena was missing.

Alicia allegedly confessed that around midnight on Christmas Day, Ivon beat Athena before burying her body “near the fence line that was next to their old residence in Rush Springs.”

Athena “didn’t move and her eyes were barely open,” Alicia Adams said, according to an affidavit from OSBI Lieutenant Brenna Alvarez. Ivon Adams “then laid her on the ground and punched her in the chest at least three more times” and the child “wouldn’t move again after that.”

Ivon Adams left the house with Athena around 1:00 am on December 26 and later returned saying that he had buried her body on land that Adams once owned, near the nearby town of Rush Springs, about 15 miles southeast of Cyril. , tagging the location as “big broken branch”.

Authorities are searching the area. On Monday, authorities announced that looking for the remains of Athens as the search for its transitions turns into a “recovery operation”.

On January 17, Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation officials announced that the child’s remains had been found in a rural area outside the city of Rush Springs, about 21 miles southeast of Cyril.

“At this time, OSBI is unable to confirm that the remains belong to Athena Brownfield. The remains will be taken to the Oklahoma City Medical Examiner’s Office for positive identification,” the statement reads in part.

City residents speak out

Brandon Bryant, who said he and his wife were once Adams’ neighbors, said Tuesday he had little contact with the couple but saw nothing unusual about them.

“I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. We talked to Alicia a few times, Ivon never,” said Bryant. “We never went to their house, Alicia came to our house several times … we gave her a car seat.”

Bryant, whose children are 5 and 10, said he still considers Cyril, with a population of about 800, a safe place.

“It’s a small town, it’s probably one of the few places on earth where I would consider leaving my doors unlocked at night… it’s still a good place to live,” Bryant said.

OSBI stated that the girls and Adams are related, and the affidavit states that the children’s biological mother left them with the couple 1.5–2 years ago, with the girls calling Alicia “Mom” or “Ali” and Ivon. Dad” or “Uncle Ivon”.

According to OSBI, the children’s biological mother and father are cooperating with the investigation.

Anyone with information about the case has been asked to contact the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation hotline at (800) 522-8017 or email [email protected]. Individuals may remain anonymous.

The Associated Press (AP) contributed to this report.

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