Search for missing Oklahoma girl becomes recovery operation, days after murder suspect arrested in Phoenix

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5/KSWO) — The search for missing 4-year-old Athena Brownfield has formally been modified to a recovery operation, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) confirmed Monday to our sister station KSWO. The news comes three days after one in every of her caregivers was arrested in Phoenix on a felony murder warrant.

Monday’s press launch confirmed that Athena and her 5-year-old sister had been below the care of relative Alysia Adams and her husband Ivon for at the very least a yr. Ivon Adams, 36, was arrested by Phoenix police Thursday afternoon close to 67th Avenue and Camelback Road. He’s anticipated to be extradited to Oklahoma someday throughout the subsequent week.

The OSBI and Oklahoma Highway Patrol brokers searched the home and areas of Caddo County for the toddler’s stays over the weekend, and the investigation is ongoing. People in southwest Oklahoma have been scrutinizing the search, which started when Athena’s 5-year-old sister was found alone outdoors their residence by a postal provider on Jan. 10 outdoors the Adams’ residence. Both caretakers had been arrested two days later. Alysia Adams faces two counts of kid neglect.

The OSBI says the ladies’ organic mother and father had been interviewed and had been cooperating with the investigation. The press launch confused that neither Alysia or Ivon Adams have been convicted of a criminal offense, saying they had been harmless till confirmed responsible in a courtroom of regulation. “Rumors on social media will not help the investigation and may instead hinder progress,” stated brokers in a press launch.

“You could have things such as video evidence,” stated retired FBI supervisory particular agent Lance Leising. “You might also have evidence of a lot of blood at the crime scene. Maybe so much blood that there’s no way somebody could have survived with that.” Leising headed up among the most high-profile murder instances in Arizona throughout his time with the FBI.

He stated whereas the Oklahoma authorities might not be revealing particulars, it’s clear they’ve information that exhibits premeditation for Adams to murder little Athena, who authorities say had been in his and his spouse Alysia’s care for one yr.

Alysia isn’t going through murder prices however is going through little one neglect prices. “They have evidence, pretty clear and convincing evidence, that they’re confident the victim died at the hands of this defendant. And they likely know how that took place as well. What they just don’t have is the location of the body. More often than not that means the body was moved after the homicide, taken to a place to conceal it and hide it, and likely they don’t have cooperation from the defendant,” stated Leising.

As a part of the investigation, Oklahoma detectives spent the weekend serving a search warrant on the Adams residence and looking a creek reservoir for the little girl. They’ve requested the general public to not assist with searches, so potential proof doesn’t get contaminated.

Former FBI particular agent John Iannarelli stated no assets are spared in missing little one instances. “A missing child goes to the top of the list. You have a young person who probably cannot care for themselves,” Iannarelli stated.

It parallels one other high-profile little one murder case in Arizona – 10-year-old Jesse Wilson in Buckeye. Though investigators zeroed in on Jesse’s adoptive mother as a suspect early on, she was not arrested in connection to the boy’s loss of life till only a month in the past, years after his stays had been discovered. Even nonetheless, she hasn’t been charged with murder.

Leising stated there may be possible one massive distinction between Athena Brownfield’s case and Jesse Wilson’s. “The evidence you’re missing is that the defendant committed that crime beyond a reasonable doubt. That’s a difficult burden to prove,” stated Leising.

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