A custody dispute involving an 11-month-old boy took a devastating turn after authorities found the infant suffering from a gunshot wound inside an RV in New Mexico.
Madeline Veronique Daly, 36, has now pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in connection with the death of her son, Basil Stoner, bringing a major development to a case that began with a court-ordered custody dispute and eventually led investigators across state lines.
According to authorities, Daly had left Wyoming with Basil after a court order gave his father custody of the child. Months later, investigators located the mother and baby at a rural property in Grant County, New Mexico.
When deputies approached the RV where they believed Daly was staying, the situation quickly became critical.
Officers heard a gunshot from inside the vehicle.
They entered and found Basil suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency responders attempted to save the infant, but he was pronounced dead.
Daly was taken into custody and initially faced first-degree murder and child-abuse charges related to the infant’s death.
The latest development came on August 24, 2026, when Daly pleaded guilty to first-degree murder.
The case began months earlier with a dispute over who should have custody of Basil.
A Wyoming court had issued an emergency custody order involving the child and his father, Jake Stoner. Authorities said Daly did not comply with the order and instead left the state with Basil.
That decision led to a felony kidnapping warrant and eventually turned the case into a multi-state search.
Investigators later received information indicating that Daly could be staying in the Mimbres area of Grant County.
According to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, information connected to a job application helped authorities confirm that Daly was wanted in Wyoming.
Deputies went to the rural property and spotted Daly with Basil. When officers approached, she reportedly returned to the RV and refused to come outside.
Authorities became concerned that she might have a firearm inside the vehicle. A SWAT team was brought in as officers attempted to resolve the situation.
Then came the gunshot.
Basil was found with a gunshot wound inside the RV.
Investigators later said Daly had used a 9mm handgun.
The circumstances surrounding the custody dispute have also received significant attention.
According to investigators, Daly had expressed concerns about Basil being placed in his father’s custody. She reportedly made allegations concerning the child’s father, although those allegations were not established as facts by authorities.
Investigators have also described statements Daly allegedly made about her reasoning.
According to reports, she indicated that she believed Basil’s father would never have custody of him if the child were no longer alive.
Those statements provide investigators with an alleged explanation for her actions, but they do not establish the truth of the accusations she had made about the father.
The legal case has now reached a significant turning point.
By entering a guilty plea to first-degree murder, Daly has acknowledged responsibility for the crime involving her son’s death.
She now faces the possibility of spending the rest of her life in prison, with sentencing to follow.
The case remains a painful example of how a bitter custody dispute can escalate into a tragedy involving a child who had no control over the conflict surrounding him.
Basil was only 11 months old.
He was at the center of a legal dispute between his parents, but he never had the opportunity to grow up and make his own choices about the people and circumstances around him.
His father’s effort to obtain custody ultimately ended in an outcome no parent could have expected.
The search for Daly and Basil began as a custody and kidnapping matter.
It ended months later with deputies surrounding an RV and an infant losing his life.
Now, with Daly’s guilty plea, the criminal case has moved closer to its final stage.
The remaining step will be sentencing, while the circumstances surrounding the custody dispute and the months leading up to Basil’s death continue to provide a painful backdrop to the case.