Athena Brownfield.Photo: Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation

Athena Brownfield, 4 year old missing in Oklahoma

Thesearch for Athena Brownfieldbegan after a postal worker found her 5-year-old sister wandering alone outside their home in Cyril, Oklahoma, on Tuesday, Jan. 10.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) said in an update shared Monday that her case “isnow considered a recovery operation.”

Multiple local agencies including the OSBI and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol have begun looking for her remains in Caddo County, said the OSBI.

The two girls are related to Alysia Adams, 31, who was arrested on Thursday, Jan. 12, on two counts of child neglect. On the same day, Ivon Adams, 36, was arrested in Phoenix on one count of child neglect and one count of first-degree murder.

Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=566405852177470&set=a.307984961352895 OSBI ARRESTS CARETAKER IN ATHENA BROWNFIELD MISSING CHILD FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CYRIL, Okla. (January 12, 2023) – Two days after being requested to assist with the Athena Brownfield missing child investigation, Special Agents from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) make an arrest in the case. Alysia Adams (10/5/1991) was arrested at the Grady County Sheriff’s Office at 4:12 p.m. on two counts of child neglect. The counts stem from the two sisters, four and five-years-old, who were in her and her husband’s care. The five-year-old was found Tuesday afternoon wondering outside Adams’ house on 225 W. Nebraska in Cyril. A postal carrier found the girl and notified police that she was alone. The search for Athena continues. The OSBI is following every tip that is received, which are coming in from Oklahoma, as well as other states. In an effort to find clues as to Athena’s whereabouts, the trash service in Cyril was suspended. Additionally, analysts are reviewing surveillance video from around Cyril and seeking other evidence that can help locate Athena. The OSBI is being assisted by multiple law enforcement agencies, as well as volunteers who have given much of their time in the search for Athena. The investigation is ongoing. There is no additional information to be released at this time. ***A booking photo of Alysia Adams is attached.

Details on the alleged crime were not released.

“It was discovered that Athena was missing when a postal carrier found the five-year-old outside the Adams' home with no adult supervision on January 10, 2023. The postal carrier notified the Cyril Police Department and that’s when the investigation into Athena’s whereabouts began,” the news release states.

Ivon is being held in a Phoenix jail awaiting extradition to Oklahoma. Alysia is being held in the Caddo County Jail.

RELATED VIDEO: Oklahoma Police Search For Missing Girl, 4, After Postal Worker Finds Sister, 5, Wandering Alone

KFOR reporter Ashley Moss shared Friday thatIvon waived his right to an extraditionhearing after his arrest, with the state of Oklahoma now having 30 days to retrieve him from Arizona.

It’s not clear if Alysia and Ivon have lawyers who can comment on their behalf.

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“I’ve just got to be strong for my children,” Athena’s grandmotherPenny BrownfieldtoldNBC News. “It’s affecting my children. It’s really affecting my oldest son, which those are his babies, which means those are my babies, too.”

Brownfield added that her granddaughter is “not just going to vanish,” and that her disappearance has been “quite a blow.”

Anyone with details on the case can anonymously contact the OSBI tipline at (800) 522-8017 or email tips@osbi.ok.gov.

source: people.com