A custody dispute ended in an unthinkable tragedy when a New Mexico mother killed her 11-month-old son rather than allow the child’s father to regain custody, prosecutors said.

Madeline Veronique Daly, 36, pleaded guilty this week to first-degree murder in the death of her infant son, Basil Stoner.

The case began months earlier, when Daly allegedly took Basil from Wyoming to New Mexico in violation of a court order granting emergency custody to his father.

According to court documents, Daly had become determined to prevent the boy from being returned to his father and his paternal relatives.

On Dec. 23, 2025, authorities located Daly at an RV park near Silver City after a background check connected her to an outstanding warrant.

Investigators surrounded the RV while waiting for a warrant to enter.

Then they heard a gunshot.

Officers rushed inside and found Basil fatally wounded. Daly had also attempted to take her own life, but police were able to stop her and take her into custody.

“Jake Can’t Get Basil”
The statements Daly allegedly made after her arrest left investigators stunned.

According to the arrest affidavit, she told police she believed she was protecting her son and said killing him was “worth it” if it meant his father would never have custody of him.

When Daly saw officers approaching the RV, investigators said she told them:

“Jake can’t get Basil.”

She reportedly told investigators that she had taken Basil because she did not want her infant son repeatedly traveling between Nebraska and Wyoming under the custody arrangement.

Daly also made allegations about what she believed could happen to Basil if he were returned to his father’s family. Authorities have not indicated that those claims were substantiated.

A Custody Battle With a Devastating Ending
Basil’s father, Jake Stoner, had told investigators he had last seen his son on Sept. 28.

By the time authorities found Daly three months later, the custody dispute had become a desperate search for a missing child.

Instead of being reunited with his father, Basil became the victim of a tragedy that prosecutors said was driven by his mother’s determination to prevent the custody order from being carried out.

Daly’s decision left two families facing an irreversible loss.

The little boy was not old enough to understand the conflict surrounding him. He was only 11 months old.

Facing Life in Prison
Daly’s guilty plea brings the criminal case closer to its conclusion, but it cannot undo what happened to Basil.

Prosecutors said she faces the maximum sentence of life in prison.

The case has also left a painful reminder of how devastating a custody dispute can become when adults lose sight of what should matter most: the safety and well-being of the child caught between them.

Basil’s life lasted less than a year.

His death, however, has left behind a story that his family and community will carry for the rest of their lives — a tragedy born from a custody battle that ended with a child paying the ultimate price.

Course: NY Post