Who is Ivon Adams? Man charged with the murder of missing 4-year-old Athena Brownfield
CYRIL, OKLAHOMA : Investigators have confirmed on January 13, on Friday evening that Ivon Adams has been charged with first degree murder of 4-year-old Athena Brownfield. No other information was given regarding to what led to these charges.
Ivon Adams, 36, was arrested Thursday, January 12, in Arizona on one count of child neglect in the case of Athena Brownfield, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said in a news release. Since than the charges have been upped. Court documents show that "the subject was arrested due to an outstanding felony warrant issued out of Oklahoma for murder in the first degree and child neglect." The documents also say Adams was arrested on "pending homicide charges."
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Alysa Adams, along with her estranged husband, Ivon was responsible for the care of Athena and her five-year-old sister. Earlier, the 31-year-old Alysa was also booked with two counts of child neglect, one for each of the children under her care. She remains jailed in Oklahoma’s Caddo County. Ivon is being held in the Maricopa County jail in Phoenix pending extradition to Oklahoma, the OSBI said. Though murder charges have been filed, police are still hoping to find Athena or her body.
Cops were alerted to Athena's disappearance on January 11 after a mail carrier noticed Athena's five-year-old sister abandoned near their home in Cyril, Oklahoma, at around 2.00 pm. Officials launched a desperate search for the girl that evening but have not revealed any more details yet. Athena's sister was taken into protective custody, officals said. "We're still working on putting together the exact timeline," OSBI spokesperson Brook Arbeitman said, according to KOCO.
"I can confirm that this investigation really kicked off yesterday at 2 pm when the postal carrier located the 5-year-old and contacted the police department. And then we got involved later that night. All of our law enforcement partners have joined us, and we've been looking for her nonstop since the original call came into the police department."
According to authorities, Athena was last seen wearing a hoodie with a butterfly design when she disappeared. Law enforcement has deployed helicopters and conducted grid searches on foot with the help of volunteers and using four-wheelers. They also have utilized boats on small ponds.