( CNN ) -- A North Carolina woman will serve at least 14 years in prison after pleading guilty Thursday to second-degree murder in the death last year of her 10-year-old stepdaughter . As part of a plea agreement , Elisa Baker admitted killing Zahra Baker and attempting to thwart investigators by planting a fake ransom note at the family 's Hickory , North Carolina , home in October 2010 . Zahra 's body was dismembered and some of the remains were found a month later . The freckle-faced girl 's disappearance and search drew national attention . Zahra had lost part of her left leg at age 5 and lost hearing in both her ears while undergoing treatment for cancer . Dressed in a pink jail jumpsuit , Baker answered Judge Timothy Kincaid 's questions in a soft voice during her plea hearing Thursday . Kincaid advised her that she will face between 14 years , nine months , and 18 years , six months in prison . Kincaid had already agreed to move Baker 's murder trial out of Catawba County because of pretrial publicity in the case . The judge was supposed to announce Monday where the trial would be held , according to CNN affiliate WCNC , but that hearing was put on hold because of the pending plea deal . Baker also pleaded guilty to charges of obstruction of justice , bigamy , obtaining property by false pretenses and identity fraud . In the plea agreement she signed , and also under questioning Thursday , Baker admitted to several aggravating factors in the case , including `` a history and pattern of physical , verbal and psychological abuse of the victim . '' Moreover , Baker said she `` secreted the victim from family and others '' and `` desecrated the victim 's body to hinder detection , '' hampering the police investigation as a result . She also accepted statutory aggravating factors , namely that `` the victim was very young , physically infirm or handicapped '' and that `` the defendant took advantage of a position of trust or confidence ... to commit the offense . '' A call placed Thursday to Baker 's court-appointed attorney was not immediately returned . District Attorney James Gaither Jr. , whose district includes Burke , Caldwell and Catawba counties , told CNN he `` absolutely '' feels that justice was served , while adding that he wished `` the law and the facts were more favorable to the state . '' Gaither said it was unexpected when Elisa Baker chose to cooperate with authorities on a case that caused `` confusion and outrage and real frustration '' in the North Carolina community . In a statement , he said that he agreed to the plea deal to avoid `` the risk ... that Elisa Baker would avoid responsibility for her part in the death of Zahra . '' `` The probability was that without her cooperation , law enforcement would not locate Zahra 's body , '' Gaither said . `` The probability of a successful prosecution for first-degree murder was likewise very unlikely . '' The district attorney said he had consulted with Emily Dietrich , the late girl 's biological mother who lives in Australia . He said she was `` pleased and satisfied '' with the case 's conclusion . Court documents in the case show that Baker told authorities Zahra was killed two weeks before she was reported missing . Authorities found the fake ransom note at the home . One criminal investigator testified at Thursday 's hearing that Baker told authorities she found Zahra not breathing on September 24 , 2010 , according to WCNC . Investigations have no `` credible evidence '' to suggest that anyone other than Elisa Baker was involved in Zahra 's death , Gaither said in February . CNN 's Joe Sutton contributed to this report .
NEW : The DA says justice `` absolutely '' was served in this case with the plea deal . NEW : The victim 's biological mother is `` pleased and satisfied '' with the result , he says . Elisa Baker admits to second-degree murder , abusing the girl and descrecating her body . She will spend between 14 and 18 years in prison , judge says .