The parents of a 3-year-old girl from Alabama have both admitted guilt in connection with her tragic death in 2021.
Authorities reported that Aydah DiMaso was discovered deceased with over 50 indications of trauma in her father’s bathtub in October 2021, following a welfare check requested by family members, as stated by local news sources.
On Monday, Etowah District Attorney Jody Willoughby informed PEOPLE that Haley Dee Metz, the girl’s stepmother, has entered a blind guilty plea to charges of aggravated child abuse.
The undisclosed arrangement indicates that Metz, 33, and the district attorney’s office have yet to reach an agreement on her sentencing duration, which a judge will ultimately determine in November.
Last week, Metz’s guilty plea was first reported, following three months after the girl’s father, Nikolas Joseph DiMaso, admitted to charges of capital murder and conspiracy to commit child abuse. Willoughby has verified with PEOPLE that DiMaso, 25, is set to receive a life sentence with no chance of parole.
Last year, it was reported that when Aydah was discovered deceased, her body showed signs of fresh and recent bruising.
According to the outlet, Nikolas, her father, allegedly confessed to violently throwing the girl to the ground and striking her in the stomach, along with other forms of physical mistreatment.
Aydah’s family described her murder as “unthinkable” in a fundraiser post created in 2021 to assist with the family’s memorial expenses.
“Aydah was a sweet soul with an infectious giggle, loved deeply by her Grandparents who had been fighting for custody of her,” the fundraiser said. “The system let her down, and so sadly, this tragedy was utterly preventable.”
The family reveals in the fundraiser that Aydah’s grandparents were trying to gain custody of the young girl prior to her tragic discovery in her father’s bathtub.
The family of the young girl has taken legal action against the Alabama Department of Human Resources, alleging that shortcomings in Aydah’s case contributed to her tragic death, as reported by WBRC and WSAZ.
“This case represents an egregious failure of the system that is supposed to protect our most vulnerable children,” the family’s attorney Tommy James wrote in a June social media post about the lawsuit. “Aydah’s death could and should have been prevented. We are seeking justice for Aydah and accountability for those whose conduct resulted in her tragic death.”