Heartbreaking note at Athena Brownfield’s funeral alongside pink bikes and teddy bears after toddler was ‘beaten to death’

A HEARTbreaking note was left next to a tiny pink bike and teddy bears at a funeral for a murdered four-year-old.

Friends and family gathered Wednesday to honor the life of Athena Brownfield, who was beaten to death by her caretaker, police officials say.

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Flowers and toys adorned the Stride Bank Center in Enid, Oklahoma, and pictures showed the crowd of mourners, each wearing a purple ribbon.

Purple was Athena’s favorite color and the young girl loved to paint and sing along to Baby Shark’s song.

She was joined at the waist to her surviving sister, a heartbreaking obituary revealed.

Also present at the funeral were people who helped with the investigation, as well as a local equestrian group that raises awareness of abused children.

“A lot of us have children. It’s very emotional. I have a four-year-old little girl, so when it comes to babies and children, it hits me,” a member of the equestrian club told News9.

“It’s definitely tough. It’s taking a lot of people home.”

SEARCH FOR JUSTICE

Athena was declared missing on January 10 and her remains were found a week later in a frantic search for the girl.

Her two carers have been charged in connection with the child’s death.

Ivon Adams was charged with the murder of Athena, while he and his wife Alysia Adams were both accused of child neglect.

Caddo Couty District Court Judge David Stephens last week signed the gag order barring attorneys and law enforcement officials from speaking publicly about the case.

The four-year-old was born on September 6, 2018 and died on Christmas Day, according to her obituary.

Athena was allegedly beaten to death and buried by Ivon, who reportedly dragged a branch over where her body was left, court documents say.

The documents show that Athena spoke of her caregivers as if they were her parents.

Jacklyn Gilmore, who knew the couple, told local Oklahoma news station KFOR that her ex-boyfriend and Ivon owned a fence construction company together, so she had many interactions with the accused killer.

She said that Ivon had never been aggressive towards children before her.

“I worked with him sometimes, and we built fences, and he would bring two kids with him a lot … and they would help him, and he wouldn’t even raise his voice,” Gilmore said.

But she also said her ex-boyfriend and Ivon broke up badly after Ivon was accused of owing his partner money.

Athena’s five-year-old sister Adina was found wandering around alone by a postal worker on January 10, leading to Athena being declared missing.

According to documents obtained by KSWO, Athena’s sister told police that she was left alone in the house and was “sick of being alone” after her sister’s disappearance.

Alysia reportedly told police that her estranged husband Ivon beat little Athena to death and then buried the child’s body.

The report claims Athena “didn’t move and her eyes were barely open” after the attack.

“Then he put her on the ground and punched her in the chest at least three more times,” the court documents say.

Athena “never moved after that.”

Alysia reportedly told investigators that Ivon allegedly fled the house with Athena’s body around 1 a.m. the following day.

The girls’ birth parents have been interviewed by agents and are cooperating with the investigation.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation revealed that Alysia is related to Athena and Adina.

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