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DOVER, Del. (AP) — A Delaware woman faces decades in prison after pleading guilty to the murder of her 3-year-old daughter and dump her burned remains on a softball field.

Kristie Haas, 31, pleaded guilty on Thursday to murder by assault or neglect, abuse of a corpse and three counts of endangering a child’s welfare. Prosecutors are recommending a 50-year prison sentence for the murder charge, with a stay of supervision without detention after 30 years behind bars. The murder charge carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Prosecutors are recommending probation on the other charges and will drop several other misdemeanor and misdemeanor charges.

“Yes, Your Honor,” Haas echoed quietly repeatedly when Supreme Court Justice Noel Primos asked if she understood the nature of the charges and the ramifications of entering a guilty plea.

At the request of lawyers, Primos, who is not bound by the sentencing advice, has postponed the sentencing until July 10, the date on which a trial against Haas would start.

Prosecutor Kevin Smith said the postponement will give family members of the victim, Emma Grace Cole, time to make arrangements to travel from out of state to attend sentencing.

Lawyers will prepare criminal memorandums in the meantime. Smith said prosecutors are recommending an evaluation of Haas’ mental health. Attorney Patrick Collins told the judge that Haas is already being treated for bipolar disorder and depression.

“She’s current on her meds,” he said.

The defense and prosecution disagree over whether Haas should be barred from contact with her three other children, as recommended by prosecutors, or whether her contact should be allowed under court orders.

Collins declined to comment as he left the courtroom. The court issued a partial gag order in June 2021 restricting what lawyers can say about the case, which has attracted significant media attention.

The child’s body was found in September 2019 by a person walking a dog through Smyrna-Clayton Little Lass Fields, a softball park near Smyrna Middle School in downtown Delaware. At the time, Emma lived less than a mile from the ball field with her parents and siblings. Authorities believe Emma had been dead for several weeks before her body was found.

Haas and her husband, Brandon Haas, who was the child’s stepfather, were arrested in Pennsylvania in October 2020, more than a year after the child’s body was found. Both were originally charged with felony child abuse, child endangerment and obstruction of prosecution related to Emma’s death, as well as felony child endangerment involving her siblings.

Kristie Haas was also charged with assault, abuse of a corpse and reckless burning. The charges against her were later upgraded to two counts of murder.

Authorities alleged that the couple withheld food and medical care from Emma and subjected her to “torture or ill-treatment”, while also subjecting her and her siblings to excessive forced exercise and inappropriate physical discipline.

A trial against Brandon Haas starts on July 10. He faces more than 40 years in prison if convicted on all charges.