Madeline Veronique Daly, 36, has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the December 2025 death of her 11-month-old son, Basil Stoner. Authorities say Daly had taken Basil from Wyoming to New Mexico despite a court order granting his father emergency custody. A prospective employer later discovered Daly’s outstanding kidnapping warrant during a background check, leading authorities to her location in rural New Mexico.
When deputies arrived, Daly ran into an RV. As officers surrounded the vehicle and waited for a search warrant, they heard a gunshot and rushed inside. After her arrest, investigators say Daly told police she considered killing Basil “worth it” if doing so prevented his father and paternal relatives from having access to him. Daly is awaiting sentencing.