Madeline Veronique Daly shot 11-month-old son Basil.
Madeline Veronique Daly, 36, took her son, Basil Stoner, from Wyoming to New Mexico despite a court order that had granted emergency custody to the boy’s father. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office found Daly at an RV park near Silver City on December 23 after she applied for a local job. Basil’s father had told investigators that he last saw his son on September 28.
A US mother who kidnapped her 11-month-old son and fatally shot him inside an RV in New Mexico has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder after telling investigators she believed killing the child was “worth it” to prevent his father from getting custody, Cowboy State Daily reported. Daly also attempted to turn the weapon on herself, but officers restrained her, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by the outlet. Daly also told police she believed she was keeping her son “safe”. She said killing him was “worth it” if it meant his father and other paternal relatives would never have the opportunity to see him.
When officers arrived, Daly ran into an RV, and deputies surrounded the vehicle. Officers then heard a single gunshot. They entered the RV and found Basil had been shot in the face with a 9mm handgun. The shooting happened as police closed in on Daly after she had taken the child across state lines in breach of the custody order. She now faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Daly pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on Wednesday, prosecutors said.