Cyril couple waive preliminary hearing, will be tried for Athena Brownfield’s death

ANADARKO — The couple accused of killing and hiding the body of 4-year-old Athena Brownfield waived their preliminary hearing Tuesday and will go to trial.

Ivon Neil Adams III, 38, and his wife, Alysia Adams, 32, both of Cyril, had been scheduled for a preliminary hearing Tuesday morning in Caddo County District Court but waived the hearing shortly before it was slated to begin. They are scheduled for formal arraignment at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 21, 2024, records indicate.

Ivon Adams was arrested in Phoenix, Ariz., on Jan. 12 following the issuance of a first-degree murder and child neglect arrest warrant from Caddo County. After waiving extradition, he made his initial appearance Jan. 20 in Caddo County District Court for the warrant allegations and is being held without bond.

Alysia Adams was taken into custody on Jan. 12, made her initial appearance for two counts of child neglect and is being held on $500,000 bond, records indicate.

Court records indicate the pair are being tried together.

Athena and her 5-year-old sister were left in the Adams’ custody by their mother, Jasmin Adina Kay Brownfield, 27, of Stillwater, over a year ago while she was experiencing mental health issues that left her feeling she couldn’t care for the children properly, according to the warrant affidavit.

Investigators first learned the children were living with the Adams’ after Athena was discovered missing. The discovery was made after the older girl alerted a postal carrier on Jan. 10 that she had been home alone. After speaking with Alysia Adams that day, investigators learned Athena was missing and a search was begun that lasted for days until the Jan. 17 recovery of her remains on land in Grady County.

According to the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s preliminary autopsy report, Athena’s probable cause of death was determined to be from acute pneumonia that complicated her malnutrition. She weighed 24 pounds at the time of death and was less than in the 3rd percentile for her weight-for-height, according to the report.

Athena also tested positive for rhinovirus/enterovirus, human adenovirus, human bocavirus and COVID-19.

Alysia Adams told investigators her husband, Ivon, had beaten the girl to death the night of Christmas 2022 at their home in Cyril. Early the next morning, she said he buried her on the land outside of Rush Springs, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

Recovered phone data backed up the claim of Ivon Adams’ travels, the affidavit states.

Ivon Adams took the couple’s four biological children to his wife’s family in Phoenix, Ariz., on Jan. 7. Athena’s 5-year-old sister, also in the Adams’ care, was left at the home. Social media posts from that time by Alysia Adams revealed she’d been in Oklahoma City with another man when her husband left.

Jasmin Brownfield was charged May 4 with two counts of child neglect by abandonment, records indicate. She is Athena’s biological mother. Following a bond reduction hearing lowering her bond from $100,000 to $50,000, she has been free since May 22.

The preliminary hearing for Jasmin Brownfield is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Jan. 3, 2024, records indicate.