A 36-year-old woman killed her 11-month-old son with a gunshot to the head on December 23 of last year, aiming to prevent the father from gaining custody of the child. This woman, who had been accused of kidnapping for taking the minor from Wyoming to New Mexico in the United States, confessed to the crime of aggravated homicide on August 24.
The District Attorney's Office of the 6th Judicial District of New Mexico released a statement on the Facebook network, informing that Norman R. Wheeler, the district attorney, announced the guilty plea of Madeline Veronique Daly, 36, on August 24, 2026, regarding the death by gunshot of her 11-month-old son.
Daly now faces a life imprisonment sentence in the New Mexico Department of Corrections, which is the maximum penalty for aggravated homicide in that American state.
At the end of last year, Daly transported her 11-month-old son from Wyoming to New Mexico, violating a court order that had granted temporary custody to the father. Following a report about her location and an outstanding arrest warrant for kidnapping charges, agents from the Grant County Sheriff's Office found her in a mobile home on a rural property near Highway 15.
Upon surrounding the vehicle and attempting to obtain a search warrant, the agents heard a shot. At that moment, they entered the mobile home and discovered that Daly had killed the son with a 9mm pistol. After brief resistance, Daly was detained, and the agents attempted to rescue the child, rushing him to an ambulance on site, but the boy died from his injuries.
The woman allegedly told authorities that the act was worth it if it meant the father and paternal relatives would never have access to him. She also claimed to believe that the son would be at risk of sexual abuse if she left the caravan, and that the father never wanted any involvement with him, whether financial, physical, or emotional, according to People reports.
However, a fundraising campaign on the GoFundMe platform, intended for the baby's father, presents a different narrative. According to this version, Jake Stoner maintained a relationship with Madeline Daly. After the breakup in July 2024, Madeline Daly fled and tried to hide where she and the baby would be. During this period, Daly sent random text messages to Stoner, informing him that he would never be part of the child's life.
Madeline Daly finally moved to the small town of Ten Sleep, Wyoming, to give birth. Jake Stoner managed to contact her and was present at the birth. Subsequently, Daly refused to discuss the child's name or allow the Stoner surname to be registered on the birth certificate.
The same note indicated that Daly's refusal to allow Stoner to participate in the child's life persisted for eight months, until the 5th Judicial District Court of Washakie County, Wyoming, ruled in favor of the man, granting him the right to spend half the time with Basil.
Jake's initial visits were described as very positive. However, on the next scheduled occasion, Madeline Daly disobeyed the court order. When Jake tried to reschedule, Daly refused again. Faced with this, Jake requested intervention from the court. Upon learning of the request, Madeline Daly sent a message to Jake, calling him an irresponsible father and saying that she was already making the child start calling another person 'dad.'
At this point, the woman fled with the boy. Since the father's name was not on the birth certificate and Daly held dual citizenship, there was concern that she might leave the country without hindrance. The report added that the suspect had a history of substance abuse and mental health issues, having even had a conflict with Nebraska authorities, where she threatened suicide.
Jake made a long journey from Nebraska, where he lives and works on a farm, hoping that his son would one day join him, until New Mexico. Upon arrival, he was informed that he could not see his son until December 26 due to the holidays, which caused great pain to Jake, who only wished to be a father.
Currently, the man is fighting for laws to be modified, allowing for the issuance of an AMBER Alert—a child abduction alert system—with less rigid criteria.