Madeline Daly Pleads Guilty to Murdering 11-Month-Old Son

Madeline Daly pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the death of her 11-month-old son, Basil in New Mexico’s Sixth Judicial District Court on Monday last week. Daly, who had fled Wyoming in violation of a custody order, could become eligible for parole after serving 30 years in prison.

Violating A Custody Order

According to Cleveland.com, “authorities said she took the child across state lines in violation of a custody order.” That custody dispute involved the child’s father, Jake Stoner.

The Cowboy State Daily reported that in October last year, Judge Bobbi Overfield of Wyoming’s Washakie County District Court issued an emergency order granting temporary sole custody of the infant, Basil Stoner, to his father.

This decision followed Daly’s failure to appear at a scheduled court hearing regarding parental rights. Instead of surrendering the child, Daly vanished.

A Kidnapping Warrant

Basil was reported missing on November 19 of last year, which resulted in an interstate felony kidnapping warrant. Madeline Daly wasn’t easy to find because she had disappeared in rural New Mexico.

The outlet also reported that Madeline Daly “applied for a job near the town of Silver City, New Mexico,” and the Wyoming warrant for her arrest “popped up during a background check.”

The Arrest

The employer notified the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, and deputies were dispatched to find her.

They traced Daly to a rented bunkhouse on Highway 15, but as they moved in, she grabbed the baby and then locked herself inside a nearby RV.

According to KOAT, deputies surrounded the vehicle. But suddenly, a single gunshot rang out from inside.

The Death of Basil

Officers who stormed the RV discovered that Daly had shot the baby boy in the face with a 9mm handgun.

Officers found Daly holding the gun to her own head. After a brief struggle, they subdued and disarmed her.

EMTs tried to save the child, but the baby died at the scene before he could be airlifted to a regional hospital.

What Daly Told Investigators

Daly told detectives that she killed her son because “she was not going to allow her son to go back and forth from Nebraska to Wyoming twice a month.”

The affidavit further noted that Daly told police the killing was “worth it” if it meant the boy’s father and his paternal relatives would never have physical or legal access to him.

When asked what was going through her mind as she saw the deputies approach the RV, she responded, “Jake can’t get Basil.”

The Sentencing Date

A sentencing date has not yet been announced. The judge said he wanted additional time to review the case before imposing Daly’s sentence.

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