Madeline Veronique Daly Pleads Guilty to First-Degree Murder After Killing Her Kidnapped Son in New Mexico

Madeline Veronique Daly has entered a guilty plea to first-degree murder for the death of her 11-month-old son, Basil Stoner. The 36-year-old mother fled from Wyoming to New Mexico in violation of a court order that granted the child's father emergency custody. After being located by law enforcement in a rural New Mexico RV, Daly shot and killed her son to prevent him from returning to his father. During a standoff with deputies, Daly reportedly stated that she was not going to allow the child to travel back and forth between states. She claimed the boy would have been in danger if she had stepped out of the vehicle, and expressed that killing him was worth it to keep him away from his paternal family. The guilty plea eliminates the need for a jury trial scheduled for 2027. Daly faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, which is considered life in New Mexico. Following her sentence, she will be turned over to Wyoming authorities to face an outstanding kidnapping charge.

Sources

• KOAT
  Woman who fled Wyoming with 11-month-old child pleads guilty to murder in southwest New Mexico
• ABC7 WWSB
  ‘Worth it’: Mother admitted to kidnapping, killing her 11-month-old son because she did not want to give up custody
• Cleveland.com
  A Wyoming custody battle ended in a way investigators say no one saw coming
• New York Post
  Mom shot 11-month-old son in the face so dad could never have custody: ‘Worth it’
• Cowboy State Daily
  Wyoming Woman Pleads Guilty To Killing Infant Son In New Mexico, To Get 30 Years