CADDO COUNTY, OK - A woman charged in the death of 4-year-old Athena Brownfield has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to multiple charges connected to the child’s disappearance and death in Oklahoma.

According to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, 34-year-old Alysia Adams pleaded guilty May 20 in Caddo County District Court to second-degree murder, child neglect, and obstruction of justice.

Adams was sentenced to life imprisonment under the custody of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections on the murder and child neglect charges. She also received a one-year sentence for obstruction of justice. All sentences will run concurrently.

The investigation began on Jan. 10, 2023, when the Cyril Police Department requested assistance from the OSBI in investigating Athena’s suspicious disappearance.

Investigators determined that Alysia Adams and her husband, 39-year-old Ivon Adams, were caretakers responsible for Athena and her then-5-year-old sister, Adina Brownfield.

Authorities said Alysia Adams initially provided false information about Athena’s whereabouts during the investigation.

On Jan. 17, 2023, Athena’s body was discovered in a clandestine grave in Grady County. Adams was later arrested and booked into the Caddo County Jail.

Ivon Adams remains in custody on charges related to the case. Athena’s biological mother, 30-year-old Karma Tucker, has also been charged with two counts of child neglect.

The OSBI thanked multiple agencies for their assistance during the investigation, including the Cyril Police Department, Caddo County Sheriff’s Office, Grady County Sheriff’s Office, District 6 District Attorney’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Fletcher Police Department.