'Worth It': Mother Pleads Guilty to Murdering Her 11-Month-Old Son to Keep Him Away From His Father

A Wyoming mother pleaded guilty in Silver City, New Mexico, on 24 August 2026 to first-degree murder for fatally shooting her 11-month-old son, according to District Attorney Norman R Wheeler.

Madeline Veronique Daly had taken her son, Basil, from Wyoming to New Mexico in violation of a court order granting his father emergency custody. Authorities located them in December 2025 after learning she was wanted in Wyoming on a kidnapping warrant.

The prosecutor's announcement states that Daly faces a life sentence under the plea agreement. Judge Tom F Stewart accepted the agreement but requested a separate sentencing hearing to allow more time to review the case.

The announcement, published by Grant County Beat on 25 August, confirms the plea date and describes sentencing as a later proceeding.

Mother Traced Through a Job Application

Daly's whereabouts emerged after she applied for work near Silver City. A prospective employer ran a background check, found the outstanding Wyoming warrant and alerted police, according to Cowboy State Daily's account of the arrest affidavit.

The business owner said the check took place as they were preparing to hire her. The discovery prompted contact with authorities about a month after Daly had left Wyoming with Basil.

The warrant originated in Washakie County. Grant County officers in New Mexico subsequently received information about Daly's location and went to a rural property where she had been staying.

The job application supplied a lead in the search for mother and son. Officers were seeking Daly in connection with the Wyoming kidnapping allegation when they encountered her in New Mexico.

Deputies Reached the Son After Gunfire

According to the Sixth Judicial District Attorney's Office, deputies responded to the property on 23 December 2025. They found Daly at a rented bunkhouse and saw her trying to flee toward a recreational vehicle with Basil.

Deputies surrounded the vehicle while working to obtain a search warrant. They heard a gunshot and rushed inside, where they found Daly had shot her son, the office said in its account of the response.

Officers took Daly into custody after a brief struggle. Deputies carried Basil to an awaiting ambulance in an attempt to save him, but he died from his injuries.

The affidavit, as reported by Cowboy State Daily, also describes Daly attempting to shoot herself before officers subdued her. The reporting does not establish how many times Basil was shot.

Mother's Explanation Recorded by Investigators

Daly later told investigators she did not want Basil's father, Jake Stoner, or his family to have custody of him, according to the affidavit.

She also told police she opposed Basil travelling twice a month between Nebraska, where Stoner lived, and Wyoming. These statements describe her explanation to investigators, rather than the terms of the custody order.

The emergency custody order had already granted Stoner custody before Daly took Basil across state lines. The murder plea addresses the subsequent fatal shooting in New Mexico.

Wheeler's announcement says Daly faces imprisonment in the New Mexico Department of Corrections. The judge's decision to hold a separate sentencing hearing means the announcement records an accepted plea agreement, without reporting a sentence already imposed.