A Delaware Mom Left Her 3-Year-Old Daughter’s Burnt Remains on a Softball Field. Now, She Says, ‘I Thought I Could Get Away With It.’

A Delaware woman will spend 30 years in prison in connection with the beating death of her 3-year-old daughter, whose body was found burned on a softball field, according to authorities.

On Sept. 14, Kristie Haas, 31, was sentenced for abusing and killing her daughter, Emma Grace Cole, the Associated Press reported. She was also ordered to probation for abusing her other children.

During her sentencing hearing, Haas reportedly apologized for “all the hurt that I inflicted and the pain that I caused,” the AP reported. She added, “I knew everything was wrong, and I was so messed up because of everything I did. I thought I could get away with it, to be honest.”

In May 2023, Haas pleaded guilty to murder by abuse or neglect, three counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of abuse of a corpse.

In April 2021, Kristie and her husband, Brandon Haas, were indicted on charges of child abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. In May 2021, Kristie was charged with murder by the Delaware Attorney General’s Office, as Front Page Detectives previously reported.

Emma’s body was found on the Little Lass Softball field on Sept. 13, 2019. However, officials were not able to positively identify her until a year later because her body had been burned.

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Officials said Haas abused her daughter by hitting her with objects, such as a spatula and purse and she made the child carry heavy weights. The little girl was reportedly denied food and suffered from intentional suffocation.

Brandon Haas pleaded guilty to one felony count of endangering the welfare of a child and three misdemeanor counts and sentenced to four years and one month in prison, authorities said.