A mother from Wyoming is being held in court in New Mexico after killing her infant. Madeline Daly reportedly shot her son to avoid having to share custody of the boy with his father. They were no longer in a relationship, which caused her to shut out the boy’s father from his life. The father, Jake Stoner, however, made as much effort as he could to be involved with the boy, going so far as to take Daly to court. Things only got worse for them all when Daly refused to comply with custody orders.
She disappeared, running away with the infant where she thought no one would find them. When she was found in December 2025, she shot her son, killing him. Now, his father is making an effort to keep her from disappearing again.
Daly appeared in court on January 12, 2026, KRQE reported. After the judge told the 35-year-old mother she’d have to stay in jail until her trial, she broke into tears, saying she understood.
“The fact is that this crime is as personal as you can get,” Grant County Deputy District Attorney Mark Abramson said in court, per the outlet. “There are just no circumstances that would justify release of this defendant into our community pending resolution of this case, and we would ask that the court hold her.”
According to court documents, Daly confessed to killing her son. She told police she wasn’t fast enough to kill herself before she was arrested.
“It does appear to me that there’s substantial evidence that indicates that this crime was probably committed, and it was probably committed by you, and the statements that were made to law enforcement after your apprehension also lead the court to be concerned for your own personal safety,” Grant County District Court Judge Thomas Stewart said. Stewart also claimed Daly was a risk to the child’s father and his family.
Daly is facing charges of an open count of murder in the first degree, a capital offense, and child abuse resulting in death, a first-degree felony, KOAT reported.
Daly, who was living in Wyoming, had taken off with her infant son, Basil, after his father was awarded custody. Her whereabouts were unknown for a month before they were found in New Mexico. According to a press release by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, a warrant was out for her arrest.
Sheriff’s deputies tracked her down to an RV on December 23, 2025. After some effort, they spoke with her on the phone but couldn’t get her to come out. The New Mexico SWAT team joined the effort because deputies believed the woman had a gun.
Deputies went in after hearing a gunshot. Inside, they saw Daly with a gun to her head. They also saw that the baby had been shot. Unfortunately, he died despite life-saving measures.
When asked why she shot Basil, Daly “could not think of why or when she decided to shoot her son, and (she was) not sure she should even be saying anything without a lawyer, not that (a lawyer) would help,” according to documents obtained by Cowboy State Daily.
The outlet reported that after her arrest, Daly told authorities she was keeping the baby “safe.”
“When asked what went through her mind when she saw law enforcement walking up, she replied, ‘Jake can’t get Basil,’” the affidavit read.
In a GoFundMe account created for Stoner, it was explained that despite the roadblocks Daly placed, he was able to be present for his son’s birth. She became evasive afterward, however, until the court got involved, including skipping mandated visits.
“Instead of being able to spend Christmas with his son, Jake heard the words that will haunt him forever,” the fundraiser read. “Jake’s heart is broken. All he ever wanted to do was be a father.”
According to the fundraiser, much of the money will be used to help with legislation to revise the restrictions put on Amber Alerts.
“Jake believes that if the laws are changed to allow for an Amber Alert to be issued with less stringent standards, his son would be alive and safe,” the page shared.
