Father admitted to killing 3-year-old daughter found unresponsive in bathtub

ETOWAH COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC/Gray News) - A father in Alabama admitted to killing his 3-year-old daughter who was found unresponsive in a bathtub.

The tragedy happened in 2021, WBRC reported.

Authorities said 3-year-old Aydah Grace DiMaso was found unresponsive after a concerned welfare check while she was in custody with her father, Nikolas Joseph Dimaso.

Officers said they found Aydah with over 50 signs of trauma covering her body.

Aydah’s grandmother also filed a lawsuit against the Alabama Department of Human Resources alleging multiple failures to protect the child.

“All these agencies touched and were warned that this poor child was suffering and she needed to get out of that house and out of that situation and they failed her completely and as a result, this tragedy occurred,” said attorney Tommy James.

James said that Aydah had old and new injuries and multiple healing rib fractures

“She had a broken left arm that was healing, she had a gash in her foot, and she literally had marks up and down her whole body. What this child suffered from is just horrific, you can’t even imagine,” he said.

DiMaso was sentenced Thursday after he pleaded guilty to capital murder of a child under 14 and conspiracy to commit aggravated child abuse.

Nikolas Joseph Dimaso(Etowah County Sheriff's Office)

His girlfriend, Haley Dee Metz, is also currently facing charges of aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault in connection to the child’s death.