Medical Examiner’s Office Releases Summary Report On Athena Brownfield

UPDATE: Ivon Adams faces charges of Second-Degree Murder, Child Neglect, and Unlawful Removal of a Body. Initially charged with First Degree Murder based on statements from his wife, Alysia Adams, prosecutors downgraded his charges in Dec. 2023 while upgrading hers to First Degree Murder and Child Neglect.

The Medical Examiner has released their summary report on Athena Brownfield, the 4-year-old who went missing earlier this year and whose remains were found in Rush Springs.

The report revealed Athena’s probable cause of death as acute pneumonia complicating malnutrition.

For more of our coverage on Athena Brownfield, click here.

On Jan. 10, 2023, Athena’s older sister was found wandering near the family's home in Cyril and Athena was reported missing by the OSBI.

Community members poured into Cyril to help law enforcement on their search the next day.

On Thursday, Jan. 12, both of Athena’s caregivers, Alysia Adams and Ivon Adams, were arrested. Both on child neglect complaints and Ivon with a murder complaint.

The next day, OSBI investigators conducted a search on the Adams' former property in Grady County. It wouldn’t be until the following Monday that the OSBI announced the search is now considered a recovery operation.

A devastating update came out the next day when remains were found in Rush Springs and taken to the Medical Examiner to be identified. All of this happened in the course of one week.

On Jan. 26, the remains were identified as those of Athena by the Medical Examiner.

Court documents said Athena and her 5-year-old sister had been in care of Alysia and Ivon Adams for about a year and a half now.

Documents also said Alysia was present when Athena was murdered, and later learned that Ivon had taken her to a property where records show they once lived in Rush Springs.

The court also denied a bond for Ivon, the caregiver accused of killing Athena. The state requested there not be a bond due to Adams being extradited from Arizona. 

Ivon is facing one count of child neglect and one count of first-degree murder.

His wife, Alysia Adams is also behind bars at the Caddo County Detention Center. She's facing two counts of child neglect, one for Athena Brownfield and her sister.