Medical examiner ID's remains found in Oklahoma as Athena Brownfield
OKLAHOMA CITY (CBSDFW.COM) - The Oklahoma Office of Chief Medical Examiner has positively identified remains found on January 17 as Athena Brownfield, 4.
Initially, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation was unable to confirm the remains were Athena's.
Court documents allege the child was punched to death on Christmas Day.
Athena's caretaker, Alysia Adams, confessed to investigators on Jan. 12 that her husband, Ivon Adams, beat the child around midnight on Dec. 25 and held her up by her arms until she stopped moving, court documents said.
Alysia Adams provided more details of the assault, saying he punched Athena three times in the chest, then left the house around 1 a.m., the documents allege.
But he returned sometime later, allegedly telling his wife he buried Athena near the fence line near their old home in Rush Springs, according to the documents.
Adams was charged with child abuse and neglect for failing to protect Athena from her husband. He faces one count of first-degree murder and one count of child neglect.
Due to a gag order filed in Caddo County District Court, OSBI didn't release more information about the case.
