‘It’s very rare’: Metro attorney weighs in on accused child killer declining plea deal

ANADARKO, Okla. ( KFOR ) – A metro attorney says pressure may have been behind Alysia Adams decision to turn down a plea deal Wednesday tied to a first-degree murder case.

Adams is the caregiver accused in the murder of 4-year-old Athena Brownfield. The little girl's remains were discovered in a field in Rush Springs in January 2023 after she went missing.

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The deal, set to be considered at a Wednesday hearing was taken off of the table by Adams herself, who decided not to enter a plea minutes before the hearing was set to begin. The state said making that call leaves the death penalty on the table as a potential punishment if she's found guilty.

"I would say it's very rare," said Oklahoma City Criminal Defense Attorney, Robert Gifford, when asked to weigh in on how unusual a move like Adams' was.

Gifford says there are a number of reasons Adams may have changed her mind, ranging from if she believes she's innocent, to the enormity of the decision itself.

"This is a decision that few people really ever, ever have to realize what they're doing and the ramifications of such," said Gifford. "Somebody wants to come forward and say, this is not how it happened, this is not what I did, or I didn't do this at all."

Gifford says while Adams' attorneys could have made a recommendation, she accepted the plea that was ultimately her decision to make. He says this opens the door for a very lengthy and taxing process leading to trial.

"In this case, there's a famous phrase called 'death is different' when it comes to criminal death penalty cases," said Gifford. "And this is very different. You don't go into a death penalty case like you would any other case. You have to have enough resources. You have to have investigators. You have to have a mitigation specialist."

Gifford says that's in addition to co-counsel and a number of witnesses, that would be like comparing apples and oranges when it comes to normal criminal cases.

Gifford also touched on the level of media exposure the case has already seen, and how it could make an unbiased jury pool more difficult to obtain.

"Any case that is subject to the death penalty usually receives some media exposure," said Gifford. "The community itself is well aware...of the accusations that are being placed out there. So a defendant and his or her attorney has a long way to go to overcome that and to remind the jurors of what their job is. That they have to hold the state or the government to their burden of proof. That being proved beyond a reasonable doubt, the highest standard under the law."

Gifford says he doubts the case will go to trial soon, and could take a little over a year to reach that point. He added that the emotional toll a guilty verdict and a death penalty judgment would have on all family involved wouldn't end with the trial's conclusion.

"It's still not over because there's going to be several layers of appeal that's going to go on for many years; the family never really gets its closure," said Gifford.