A woman has been found guilty of murdering her infant son after taking him across state lines. The 11-month-old child, Basil Stoner, was tragically shot inside a recreational vehicle near Silver City, New Mexico, according to a statement from the 6th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, as per Parade.
Although Basil was not mentioned by name in the statement, he has since been identified through a GoFundMe campaign established for his father.
Madeline Veronique Daly was arrested in December 2025
The mother, 36-year-old Madeline Veronique Daly, was apprehended on December 23, 2025, and was initially charged with first-degree murder and child abuse, as reported by the attorney’s office in January.
The probe disclosed that Daly transported Basil from Wyoming to New Mexico in violation of a court order that had awarded his father emergency custody, as stated in the report.
On December 23, deputies from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a rural location along a highway in New Mexico after being informed of the kidnapping charges against Daly in Wyoming. The officers found her at a bunkhouse and observed her fleeing to a nearby RV.
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Child fatally shot
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Child fatally shot
{{/usCountry}}As deputies encircled the RV and awaited a search warrant, they heard a gunshot emanating from within the vehicle. They quickly entered to discover that Daly had shot the child with a 9mm handgun.
According to an affidavit obtained by Cowboy State Daily, investigators noted that medical personnel attempted to assist the child, but “they were unable to save his life due to the gunshot wound to the face.”
Daly was reported to law enforcement after she sought employment and the potential employer conducted a background check, revealing that she had an outstanding warrant for kidnapping, as stated in the affidavit, according to the outlet.
What did Madeline Veronique Daly tell police?
Following her arrest, as stated in the affidavit, Daly informed the police that she deemed her actions "worth it" if it meant that the boy's father and paternal relatives would be denied access to him.
Additionally, she expressed her belief that Basil “would have been in danger and molested if she would have stepped out of that trailer” and claimed that his father “never wanted anything to do with [him], financially, physically, emotionally ever,” as noted by investigators in the affidavit.
Daly has admitted guilt to first-degree murder, as reported by the district attorney’s office this week. Her sentencing will occur at a future date.
The outcome of her charges related to child abuse or kidnapping remains unclear at this time.
Disclaimer: If you have concerns regarding child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or visit www.childhelp.org. All calls are free of charge and confidential. The hotline operates 24/7 and offers support in over 170 languages.