CADDO COUNTY, Okla. — A woman charged with child neglect following the disappearance of 4-year-old Athena Brownfield told investigators that her husband, Ivon Adams, killed the girl on Christmas Day, according to court records obtained by KOKI-TV.

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Authorities arrested Alysia Adams on two counts of child neglect last week. Ivon Adams, 36, was arrested in Maricopa County, Arizona, on charges of first-degree murder and child neglect. He is awaiting extradition to Oklahoma.

Update 4:47 p.m. EST Jan. 17:

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation announced on Tuesday afternoon that it had recovered the remains of a child in rural Grady County outside of Rush Springs. Investigators said that they could not yet confirm whether the remains are those of Athena Brownfield.

-Lauren Silver, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Original Report:

Court records obtained by KOKI showed that on the day of Alysia Adams’ arrest, the 31-year-old confessed that her husband had killed Athena and then told her that he had buried her body. On Monday, authorities announced that they had shifted their search to an attempt to recover the girl’s remains.

The Adamses had been caring for Athena and her 5-year-old sister, who are related to Alysia Adams, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. They were left in her and her husband’s care about two years ago, an affidavit obtained by KSWO-TV showed. In the time since then, the sisters were not taken to the doctor for check-ups or enrolled in school, according to the affidavit.

Police launched an investigation on Jan. 10 after a postal carrier found Athena’s older sister wandering outside near the family’s home in Cyril without any adult supervision, authorities said. Police soon learned that Athena was missing.

Last week, volunteers and authorities searched Cyril for signs of the missing girl, including checking every vacant house and the waterways. They found no sign of her.

Authorities said the girls’ biological parents have been interviewed by authorities and are cooperating with investigators.

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