CYRIL, Okla. (KOKH) — A missing 4-year-old girl from Cyril, Oklahoma was beaten and killed on Christmas Day, according to court documents.

The documents note that Ivon Adams' wife, Alysia, confessed that he beat Athena Brownfield on Christmas Day and held her up by her arms. She was not moving and her eyes were barely open. Adams then allegedly laid Brownfield on the ground and punched her at least three more times in her chest.

Brownfield never moved after that, court documents show. The alleged incident happened at the home of Alysia and Ivon Adams in Cyril.

Ivon Adams allegedly left around 1 a.m. on December 26 with Brownfield. When he returned, he allegedly told Alysia he buried Brownfield near a fence line that was next to their old home in the Rush Springs area.

Ivon Adams told Alysia he placed a large broken branch over the burial site, according to court documents.

It was discovered that Brownfield was missing when a postal carrier found her 5-year-old sister outside the Adams' home with no adult supervision on January 10. The postal carrier notified the Cyril Police Department, and that prompted the search for Athena's whereabouts.

Alysia Adams is facing two counts of child neglect. Ivon Adams is facing one count of first-degree murder and one count of child neglect.

Ivon was arrested in Phoenix on January 12 and is awaiting extradition to Oklahoma. Alysia was also arrested on January 12 and is currently in the Caddo County Jail.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said the girls had been in the Adams' care for at least a year. Authorities also said Brownfield and her sister are related to Alysia Adams.

The Adams' allegedly never took the girls to the doctor for checkups and did not enroll Athena's sister in school.

The biological parents of the sisters have been interviewed and are "cooperating with the investigation," according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

On Monday, authorities said the search for Brownfield is now a "recovery operation."

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