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Missing Athena Brownfield: Unclear when Oklahoma 4-year-old was last seen before disappearance
By Audrey Conklin
Published January 12, 2023
The search for a missing Oklahoma toddler has been ongoing since Tuesday, but it's still unclear exactly when she vanished.
Authorities initially reported Athena Brownfield, 4, missing on Tuesday afternoon after a postal carrier found her 5-year-old sister wandering around alone on Nebraska Avenue in Cyril around 2 p.m.
The postal carrier knew the 5-year-old girl "wasn't where she was supposed to be and notified police," at which point law enforcement realized that Athena was missing, said Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) public information officer Brook Arbeitman during a Wednesday press conference posted to Facebook.
A Caddo County Sheriff’s Office deputy told FOX 25 Oklahoma City, however, that the girl may have disappeared as early as Jan. 6.
Arbeitman added that Athena has "limited verbal skills."
Cyril police immediately asked for assistance from the SBI in locating the toddler.
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OSBI served a search warrant at Athena's home for any items that may lead to clues about her whereabouts.
Athena Brownfield, 4, has been missing since at least Tuesday, and authorities are continuing to search for her. (Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation)
A Facebook post that purportedly came from the girl's family alleges that Athena and her sister were under the care of family members who left them unsupervised before Athena's disappearance.
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The agency is asking members of the public "with a residence or business in Cyril that has a video doorbell camera" to go to Family Life Church in Cyril, where a command post has been established, and notify law enforcement, according to a Wednesday press release.
Cyril police immediately asked for assistance from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation in locating the toddler. (Oklahoma SBI)
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They are also asking Cyril-area residents to search their own properties for any signs of the missing toddler.
Authorities are asking locals not to self-deploy but to sign up for volunteer search efforts with the command post located at Family Life Church, 3rd St., in Cyril.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/missing-athena-brownfield-unclear-when-oklahoma-4-year-old-last-seen-before-disappearance