Grant County, New Mexico, was the scene of a heartbreak that reads like a nightmare. On December 23, 2025, 11‑month‑old Basil Stoner was shot in the face and killed by his mother, Madeline Daly, 35, as law enforcement closed in to enforce a court’s custody order.
It all began when a Wyoming court ordered that Basil be placed in the legal custody of his father, Jake Stoner, after Daly repeatedly ignored court dates and cut off contact with him. Daly fled Wyoming with the baby in defiance of the order, triggering a felony kidnapping warrant and a multistate search.
Authorities tracked Daly to an RV in a Grant County park. Deputies spotted her carrying Basil inside, and for hours tried to negotiate her surrender. Daly refused to exit or talk face‑to‑face with officers. When deputies finally grew concerned for everyone’s safety and surrounded the RV, a single gunshot rang out from within.
When officers forced entry, they found Daly holding a handgun to her own head and her son seriously wounded. A detective disarmed and subdued her quickly, but life‑saving efforts for Basil came too late. He died before he could be airlifted to a hospital.
Read: Victorville Mojave Vista: Jeremy Rosales, 14, Shot Dead Near Park as Suspect Vanishes
Daly now faces charges including first‑degree murder and child abuse resulting in death. She is being held without bond at the Grant County Detention Center as New Mexico prosecutors prepare the case.
Court records and family statements show Basil was born January 8, 2025. His parents separated in mid‑2024, after which Daly allegedly limited the father’s time with his son. Visits had just begun under a Wyoming court order when Daly stopped cooperating and vanished with Basil.
Also: MINNEAPOLIS: Reporter Nick Sortor Dragged, Camera Stolen in Sidewalk Chase
Friends and relatives of the Stoner family set up a GoFundMe in Basil’s memory, saying the tragedy highlights gaps in how Amber Alerts are issued — they say no alert was broadcast in Basil’s disappearance, possibly limiting public awareness and slowing the search.
This case has shocked communities from Wyoming to New Mexico, putting a spotlight on the desperate extremes of custody fights and leaving a grieving father and extended family with only memories of a child who should have celebrated his first birthday.
