Six-year old Kiesha was physically abused and killed by her mother. Her body was stuffed in a suitcase, burned and buried in a shallow grave outside town. Image Credit: ABC

Kristi Anne Abrahams, a mother who was accused of murdering her six-year-old daughter, Kiesha Weippeart, pleaded guilty in court on the first day of her trial. The guilty plea marked the end of a three-year agony endured by relatives of the little girl.

Those who know Keisha said that she was a bubbly child who loved Dora the Explorer and Tinkerbell.

Kiesha disappeared from her home in Mt. Drutt, Sydney last July 10, 2010. Robert Smith, stepdad to Kiesha, and her described the little girl as always happy.

In reality, Kiesha was a victim of physical abuse when she was 15 months old. Her mother was convicted for biting her shoulder.

When news broke out about her sudden disappearance, the police conducted a massive search for Kiesha. Smith and Abrahams pleaded to the public using the media to help find the little girl. In the interview, Abrahams had darks shades over her eyes and tissue wiping her tear-streaked face.

Abrahams kept saying Kiesha was beautiful and asked anyone who had seen her to contact the police. By that time, her daughter had died three weeks before.

Smith's confession

According to Smith who confessed what happened on the night of July 13 to an undercover police detective, Kiesha had been knocked unconscious by Abrahams.

Smith ran to Kiesha's room when he heard a loud noise. Kiesha died the next day and both Abrahams and Smith put the little girl's body inside a suitcase. The suitcase remained in the bedroom for 5 more days.

Smith said they wore disguises and rode a taxi to get to Shalvey, a nearby bushland. They burned the body of little Kiesha and dug a shallow grave to bury her in.

After burying Kiesha, Abrahams and Smith did their best to hide the murder. They bought her toys and a Tinkerbell poster for her room. However, they couldn't explain why Kiesha was not seen by anyone since July 7.

The couple waited until August 1 to report Kiesha missing. After a long undercover police investigation, Abrahams and Smith were arrested for Kiesha's murder in April 11. Police found them beside the little girl's grave on the day that should have been her seventh birthday.

In court appearances, the couple denied the charges against them but on February 2012, Smith confessed being used as an accessory to the girl's murder. Smith claimed he was physically abused and suffered black eyes from Abrahams.

Last month, Smith was sent to jail with a 12-year sentence. Abrahams pleaded guilty to manslaughter but the Crown rejected her plea.

To avoid facing the Supreme Court, Abrahams pleads guilty to murder. She is set to appear next week for a sentencing hearing.