Custody Battle Ends In Tragedy: Father Advocates For Reform

An 11‑month‑old Wyoming boy at the center of a months‑long custody battle was shot and killed in New Mexico on December 23, after his mother—who had fled the state with him—barricaded herself inside an RV during a law enforcement encounter.

Authorities confirm that Madeline Daly, who had been the subject of a felony warrant and a statewide BOLO, fatally shot her son, Basil Stoner, before being arrested. Daly had disappeared with the child shortly after a Washakie County judge granted Basil’s father, Jake Stoner, immediate custody and ordered Daly to turn the infant over.

The case began after Daly repeatedly blocked court‑ordered visitation and ultimately vanished from Wyoming. Investigators later discovered she had been hiding in Worland before leaving the state. Despite concerns about Daly’s mental‑health history and potential plans to leave the country—she is a dual citizen with France—an Amber Alert was not issued because authorities did not have evidence of imminent danger to the child.

Stoner, who had been fighting for involvement in his son’s life since Basil’s birth in January 2025, traveled toward New Mexico after law enforcement alerted him that Daly had been found. Hours later, he was informed his son had been killed.
Daly remains in custody in New Mexico. She pled not guilty to killing her son in district court earlier this week.

If found guilty, Daly faces potential life in prison. She is currently being held at the Grant Detention Center in Silver City, New Mexico, without bond.

Stoner is now calling for changes to Wyoming’s Amber Alert standards, arguing that a more flexible system could have saved his son’s life. A GoFundMe has been launched to support efforts aimed at pushing for legislative reform in Basil’s memory. At the time this article was published, donations had raised just over $12,000.