Little Lass Complex To Dedicate Memorial For Little Emma

Later this month the Smyrna Clayton Little Lass Softball Complex will dedicate a  memorial field to little Emma Cole.

In September of 2019, the remains of little Emma were found by a man walking his dog near the Little Lass fields in Smyrna.

Shortly after the remains were found investigators from the Smyrna Police partnered with numerous agencies including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the Delaware Division of Forensic Science to begin the process of identifying the child.

As the investigation progressed police revealed that the remains of the little girl might have been deceased for several weeks or possibly longer.  Police said at the time that the girl was Caucasian or Hispanic, was likely between the ages of 2-5 years old, and had slightly wavy brown hair.  An anthropological exam of her remains suggests that she suffered from chronic illness(es), added officials.

Hoping to generate more leads police released forensic artists reconstruction images of the remains. The images depicted what the child may have looked like prior to her death.

After more than a year, police announced in October that two persons of interest in the case were arrested by Pennsylvania authorities.  As part of that announcement, officials said search warrants were being executed, evidence was being processed, and interviews were being conducted.

Two days later police announced that Kristie Haas, 28, and Brandon Haas, 38, both are formerly of Smyrna, were being held in the case.

When officials with the complex learned little Emma’s identity they began planning for a memorial.

“The Little Lass Board of Directors would like to express our sincere sadness and heartbreak for the loss of baby Emma Cole. Our league is in the process of working on a more permanent memorial” read a post on their Facebook page.

The dedication of The Emma Grace Memorial Field is now planned for Saturday, November 21, 2020, at 3:00 P.M. at the Smyrna Clayton Little Lass Softball Complex -887 Duck Greek Parkway in Smyrna.