ANADARKO, Okla. — The 4 year-old girl who was the subject of an intensive search last week was beaten to death late Christmas Day in her caretakers’ home in Cyril, Oklahoma, prosecutors allege in a murder charge.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation has said the search for Athena Brownfield was considered a recovery. The bureau announced Tuesday afternoon a child’s remains have been found, but haven’t been identified yet.
Her male caretaker, Ivon Neil Adams III, 36, was charged Thursday in Caddo County District Court with first-degree murder and child neglect.
He is accused in the murder count of striking Athena multiple times on or about her body. He is accused in the child neglect count of leaving her 5-year-old sister alone on Jan. 6.
The charge was made public Tuesday. Adams’ wife, Alysia Adams, said that he beat Athena about midnight Christmas Day and held her up by her arms, an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent reported in a court affidavit.
Athena “was not moving and her eyes were barely open,” she said, according to the affidavit. “He then laid her on the ground and punched her at least three more times in her chest.”
Athena “never moved after that.”
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He left about 1 a.m. Dec. 26 and later “told Alysia that he buried her near a fence line that was next to their old residence in Rush Springs,” according to the affidavit. “He informed her he placed a large broken branch over the burial site.”
The search for Athena began on Jan. 10 after her sister was found wandering outside in Cyril about 2 p.m.
The 5-year-old disclosed “she had been home alone and she is tired of being alone,” according to the affidavit.
Ivon Adams was arrested Thursday in Glendale, Arizona. Alysia Adams, 31, was arrested Thursday in Oklahoma on child neglect accusations.
Caddo County District Attorney Jason Hicks can prosecute Ivon Adams on the murder count even if the girl’s body is never found. Such so-called “no body” cases are rare but convictions have been upheld in the past.
