Stepfather pleads guilty in case of child found dead in Smyrna
SMYRNA — A 41-year-old man faces up to eight years in prison after a plea agreement connected to the death of his stepdaughter, whose remains were discovered in Smyrna four years ago.
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Stepfather pleads guilty in case of child found dead in Smyrna
By SMYRNA — A 41-year-old man faces up to eight years in prison after a plea agreement connected to the death of his stepdaughter, whose remains were discovered in Smyrna almost four years ago.
Brandon Haas pleaded guilty to a felony count of endangering the welfare of a child and three misdemeanor counts of the same crime on March 1 in Kent County Superior Court.
Judge Noel Eason Primos unsealed the plea documents Wednesday. Department of Justice spokesman Mat Marshall said the state will recommend open sentencing, leaving it to the judge’s discretion.
A sentencing date has not been set. A pre-sentence investigation was ordered. Mr. Haas has posted a $10,000 cash bail, Mr. Marshall said.
The case involved the death of Emma Grace Cole, whose remains were found by a passerby at the Symrna-Clayton Little Lass Softball fields Sept. 13, 2019. An investigation determined that she was 3 years old when she died, authorities said.
At the time, Emma lived with her parents and three siblings less than a mile from the ball field. Authorities believe Emma had been dead for several weeks before her body was found.
On May 25, the child’s biological mother Kristie Haas pleaded guilty to first-degree murder by abuse or neglect, abuse of a corpse and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
Ms. Haas will be sentenced July 17. She faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison. As part of the plea agreement, she will agree with the state’s recommendation of 30 years in prison, the Delaware Attorney Generals office said.
Ms. Haas and her husband were arrested in Pennsylvania in October 2020, more than a year after the child’s body was found. Both were originally indicted on felony charges of child abuse, child endangerment and hindering prosecution involving Emma’s death, as well as misdemeanor child endangerment charges involving her siblings.
Ms. Haas also was charged with felony assault, abusing a corpse and reckless burning. The charges against her were later upgraded to include two counts of murder.
Authorities alleged the couple withheld food and medical care from Emma and subjected her to “torture or maltreatment,” while also subjecting her and her siblings to excessive forced exercise and inappropriate physical discipline.
Mr. Haas was ordered to undergo substance abuse and mental health evaluations and follow treatment, according to documents. He agreed to have no contact with the couple’s other three children for eight years.
Smyrna Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and several other agencies investigated the case, the Delaware Department of Justice said.
A trial for Ms. Haas had been scheduled to start July 10.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
