Mom who shot baby in face amid custody battle said it was ‘worth it’ to keep him from his father

GRANT COUNTY, N.M. (TCN) -- A 36-year-old mother has pleaded guilty to murder in connection with the fatal shooting of her infant son in December 2025 amid a custody battle.

Eleven-month-old Basil Stoner’s father, Jake Stoner, was granted custody of the child and reported him missing on Nov. 19, 2025, after the child’s mother, Madeline Daly, missed a court hearing. 

Daly left Wyoming and settled in Grant County, New Mexico, with her son. When she applied for a job, an outstanding arrest warrant from Wyoming for kidnapping came up and the employer notified the authorities. 

Law enforcement arrived at the RV park where Daly and her son were staying on Dec. 23, 2025. Daly then fled into another RV with the baby and refused to come out. Authorities heard a gunshot during the negotiations and entered the RV, where they found that Daly had shot the infant in the face. They attempted lifesaving measures, but he was pronounced dead.

Daly was arrested on the kidnapping charge out of Wyoming and an open count of first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death in New Mexico and was booked into jail. 

WWSB reports that following her arrest, Daly told police that shooting her child was “worth it” and she did it to keep the child safe from his father and relatives. She said her first thought when she saw law enforcement approaching the RV was, “Jake [the child’s father] can’t get Basil.”

According to the Sixth Judicial District Attorney, Daly pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on Aug. 24, KOAT reports.

An obituary for Basil Stoner reads, “His father Jake was as proud as can be to finally have the son he always wanted. He was a happy and alert child. Never missing a thing. Basil was happiest outdoors and loved watching animals and he really liked blueberries.”

A sentencing hearing will be held for Daly at a later date, according to KOAT. She faces life in prison.

MORE: