Athena Brownfield found: Remains ID'd as missing 4-year-old Oklahoma girl, ME says
RUSH SPRINGS, Okla. -- A missing four-year-old in rural Oklahoma has been found dead.
The state's medical examiner positively identified remains discovered last Tuesday in Rush Springs as those of Athena Brownfield.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation announced on Jan. 17 that the remains of a child were found in rural Grady County near Rush Springs. OSBI officials said at the time that they could not confirm that the remains were those of Athena and that the remains were sent to the Oklahoma Medical Examiner's Office for positive identification.
RELATED: Caretaker arrested after 4-year-old reported missing, sister found wandering alone: police
Police started looking for her the previous week after a postal worker spotted her 5-year-old sister wandering alone outside their home in Cyril.
Both towns are about an hour outside Oklahoma City. KOCO reported.
Police believe one of the child's caregivers -- Ivon Adams -- beat her to death on Christmas, then buried her remains.
Adams was arrested in Arizona on a first-degree murder complaint and has since been returned to Oklahoma.
Adams' wife, Alysia Adams, was charged with two counts of child neglect - one for failing to supervise Athena's sister and another for failing to protect Athena from her husband.
State investigators will not comment on the case further due to a gag order.
Oklahoma community gathers for Athena Brownfield's funeral
The Oklahoma community has gathered to remember the 4-year-old Cyril girl who investigators say was murdered on Christmas Day and was reported missing earlier this month.
The funeral service was being held for Athena Brownfield at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Stride Bank Center, located at 301 S. Independence Ave. in Enid. The funeral was open to the public.
State Sen. Roger Thompson will officiate the funeral.
"The events surrounding the untimely death of this little 4-year-old girl are heartbreaking and she deserves to be remembered in the correct way and with dignity," Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Eric Foster said in a news release.
An obituary says Athena loved to color and "Baby Shark," her favorite color was purple, and she loved playing dress-up.
