Ex-husband of accused murderer Avantae Deven says hidden lockbox with multiple IDs made him leave her

Tyson Alvarez recalled what it was like to hear his ex-wife was charged with murder.

Alvarez was married from 1996 – 2006 to Avantae Deven, the Fayetteville woman charged with murdering her two adopted children.

“To hear this about her being involved in a murder, it’s shocking,” Alvarez said.

Avantae Deven is accused of killing her two adopted children, Blake Deven and London Deven. Authorities arrested her on June 26.

Avantae Deven is charged with first-degree murder, concealment of death, kidnapping and felony child abuse. If convicted on the murder charges alone, Deven could face the death penalty.

Alvarez and Avantae Deven got married in 1996 in Clark County, Nevada, at a Las Vegas wedding. Alvarez said during a move to Montana, he saw something that made him reconsider what he knew about his wife.

“I saw there was a lockbox that was about to be put behind Sheetrock,” Alvarez said. “I open it up and see multiple identifications from birth certificates … three birth certificates, three drivers’ licenses and three Social Security cards [with] three different names.”

Alvarez said he saw Avantae Deven’s picture on different IDs under three different names. He said it was shocking and he wasn’t sure what to believe.

“That’s what got me after years of not telling me the truth, not being forward, or telling me anything form my past,” Alvarez said. “I walked out the door with the clothes on my back.”

Alvarez left Avantae Deven years before she adopted her children in North Carolina. Alvarez said she was always worried about sharing information and avoided having her photo taken. Alvarez said he felt like she was lying him.

WRAL Investigates also spoke with Alvarez’s half sister, Tifanie Kreft, who lived with the couple in 2000 in Las Vegas.

Kreft accused Avantae Deven of beating her, withholding food and forcing her to dress and pose in a certain way to deceive her family into thinking she was OK.

Alvarez strongly denies ever abusing his sister but said it’s possible it was happening and he just wasn’t aware of it.