Smyrna woman sentenced to 30 years in prison for 2019 murder of 3-year-old daughter

DOVER, Del. – A Delaware woman who pleaded guilty to killing her 3-year-old daughter and dumping her burned remains on a softball field in 2019 has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.

31-year-old Kristie Haas pleaded guilty in May of this year to murder by abuse or neglect and abuse of a corpse in the death of 3-year-old Emma Cole, who prosecutors say endured a life of starvation and torture before she was killed.

Haas faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a possible life sentence, but the judge imposed the 30-year sentence recommended by prosecutors and defense attorneys.

41-year-old Brandon Haas, Emma’s stepfather, is scheduled to be sentenced later Thursday afternoon. He pleaded guilty to one felony count and three misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

On September 13, 2019, Smyrna Police officers responded to the Smyrna-Clayton Little Lass Softball fields for a report of a child’s remains being found. The discovery sparked a multi-jurisdictional investigation into the child’s identity and the circumstances surrounding her death. After more than a year of investigation, the child was identified as Emma Grace Cole. At the time of her death, Emma lived with her mother Kristie Haas, stepfather Brandon Haas, and her siblings, less than a mile from the softball field.

Brandon and Kristie were arrested in Pennsylvania in October 2020. Kristie was indicted in 2021 following a lengthy investigation.

Prosecutor Kevin Smith said that after finding Emma unresponsive, Kristie tried to revive her with a cold shower and stopped Brandon from calling 911. Haas later reportedly threw away her daughter’s clothing and said, “That’s it for Emma. Emma’s not coming back”