Death penalty recommended for woman charged with murder in death of 4-year-old girl

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — The district attorney is recommending the death penalty for Alysia Adams, who is charged with first-degree murder for her role in the death of 4-year-old Athena Brownfield.

The death penalty is not being sought out in the case of Ivon Adams, Alysia’s husband, who is facing child abuse charges.

The Oklahoma State Medical Examiner’s Office released a report involving the death of Brownfield.

Brownfield’s disappearance sparked a massive search in January of 2023 after her sister was found unattended in Cyril. Athena’s body was found several days later, and it was determined that Athena died on Christmas Day, 2022.

While court documents said that Athena was beaten before her death, the official cause of the 4-year-old’s death was listed as acute pneumonia complicating malnutrition.

Athena also tested positive for COVID-19, rhinovirus, enterovirus, human adenovirus, and human bocavirus. Athena weighed 23 pounds at the time of her death, which has been ruled a homicide.

Ivon and Alysia are not Athena’s biological parents.