An Alabama woman has finally taken responsibility for the death of her 3-year-old stepdaughter due to blunt force trauma, following a lengthy delay.
Haley Dee Metz, 33, recently submitted a blind plea for one count of aggravated child abuse, indicating that the specifics of her future sentence were not determined during her plea agreement.
Prosecutors in Etowah County have agreed to drop one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated assault in return for a guilty plea.
Metz has confessed, marking a significant moment in the ongoing legal battles involving the stepmother and father of Aydah DiMaso, who tragically passed away almost three years ago. A civil case involving child welfare authorities is expected to continue for an extended period, potentially lasting months or even years.
In early October 2021, family members contacted the police to ask for a welfare check at a home in Gadsden after discovering the girl unresponsive in a bathtub. Gadsden Police Department officers reported that the girl was found deceased at the crime scene.
Her father, Nikolas Joseph DiMaso, 26, was swiftly apprehended. Authorities swiftly compiled evidence against DiMaso, claiming he employed his “hands and/or fists” to fatally assault the girl, as detailed in charging documents acquired by AL.com.
Although specific details regarding the child’s tragic death remain undisclosed, authorities later disclosed that Aydah exhibited more than 50 signs of trauma across her body.
In October 2023, Aydah’s estate, represented by her maternal grandmother, initiated a long-anticipated lawsuit against the Alabama Department of Human Resources, claiming that the system in the Yellowhammer State unnecessarily exposed the vulnerable girl to severe and fatal violence.
A lawsuit has been filed against the main state agency and several others, including four individual case workers. It alleges that they broke laws, misinterpreted them, or acted negligently, which “proximately caused” the toddler’s death, as stated in the original petition obtained by The Gadsden Times.
On June 14, DiMaso received a life sentence without parole after admitting guilt to capital murder of a child under 14 and conspiracy to commit aggravated child abuse, as reported by WBRC.
Metz is set to appear for sentencing in November as reported by Law&Crime.
According to court documents obtained by AL.com, the girl had been in her father’s custody for approximately eight months before her death. Prior to that, her grandparents struggled to keep custody — but were unsuccessful.