Full Breakdown
Mother Convicted of Killing 11-Month-Old Son to Block Father’s Custody
8/29/2026, 12:42:15 AM
Fatal Shooting Inside a New Mexico RV
On December 23, 2025, Madeline Veronique Daly, 36, shot her 11-month-old son, Basil Stoner, in the face with a 9 mm handgun inside an RV near Silver City, New Mexico. Deputies from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office had surrounded the vehicle while awaiting a search warrant after locating Daly at a bunkhouse. A single gunshot was heard, and officers entered to find the infant dead. Medical staff were unable to revive him because of the facial gunshot wound.
Legal Proceedings and Plea
Daly was arrested on the same day as the shooting. She initially faced first-degree murder, child-abuse, kidnapping and related charges. On August 24, 2026, she pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. Prosecutors indicated she faces the statutory maximum of life imprisonment. The disposition of the accompanying child-abuse and kidnapping counts has not yet been disclosed, and sentencing is scheduled for a later date.
Custody Dispute Background
A Wyoming court had issued an emergency-custody order granting Basil’s father, Jake Stoner, temporary custody. Daly violated that order by transporting the child from Wyoming to New Mexico. The father’s last confirmed contact with Basil occurred in late September 2025. She added that she believed killing Basil was “worth it” if it prevented the father and his relatives from ever seeing him.
Official Statements & Responses
- The 6th Judicial District Attorney’s Office released a statement confirming the infant’s death on December 23, 2025, and noting Daly’s guilty plea to murder. The office emphasized that the case will proceed to sentencing.
- The Grant County Sheriff’s Office described the tactical response: deputies located Daly after a background-check flagged an outstanding Wyoming kidnapping warrant, surrounded the RV, heard a gunshot, and entered to find the child deceased.
- The Cowboy State Daily affidavit, cited by multiple outlets, recorded Daly’s own remarks that she considered the act “worth it” to keep the father and paternal relatives from obtaining custody, and that she feared the child would be “in danger and molested” if she left the trailer.
Data & Statistics
- Weapon used: 9 mm handgun.
- Victim: one infant, 11 months old.
- Charges at arrest: first-degree murder, child abuse, kidnapping (the latter two remain pending).
- Potential sentence: life imprisonment (maximum for first-degree murder in New Mexico).
Impact and Ongoing Issues
The case underscores the extreme lengths to which a parent may go to contest a custody order, raising concerns for child-protective agencies handling interstate disputes. While the murder charge has been resolved through Daly’s guilty plea, the unresolved child-abuse and kidnapping counts leave open the possibility of additional penalties. The father, Jake Stoner, has not been publicly identified as a suspect; his role remains that of a custodial claimant denied access to his son.
The tragedy also highlights procedural challenges for law-enforcement when a suspect flees across state lines and the need for rapid inter-jurisdictional coordination to protect vulnerable children.
