A monthlong search for a missing 11-month-old Ten Sleep boy ended in tragedy Tuesday in New Mexico when the infant’s non-custodial mother allegedly shot and killed him as authorities attempted to negotiate a handoff.
Madeline Daly, 35, is being held at the Grant County Detention Center in Silver City, New Mexico, on a charge of first-degree murder, according to Grant County Sheriff Raul Villanueva.
Villanueva declined to provide any additional details about the charges or shooting, instead referring Cowboy State Daily to the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and the FBI, which he said are taking over the case.
An FBI spokesperson was not available Wednesday for an update or comment.
Missing
Basil Daly had been reported missing on Nov. 19 by his biological father, Jake Stoner, of Kilgore, Nebraska.
He notified authorities after Daly, who lived in Ten Sleep, fled following a missed custody hearing in Washakie County after he had been granted emergency temporary custody.
Stoner’s attorney, Christopher King, told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday that Stoner is understandably devastated at the outcome and is on his way to New Mexico.
Washakie County Sheriff Austin Brookwell, whose office was overseeing the case in Wyoming, likewise deferred comment to the arresting agencies in New Mexico.
He said in a statement that a credible tip to his office Tuesday led New Mexico authorities to an RV park in Silver City where Madaline Daly and the boy had been spotted.
When officers attempted to make contact, the woman barricaded herself in the RV, and after repeated efforts to resolve the situation peacefully, she fatally shot the child, Brookwell says in the statement.
Devastating End To Custody Battle
Stoner and Madaline Daly were not married but shared custody of Basil, which Stoner told Cowboy State Daily in an earlier interview had been a battle to get Daly to grant him his legal visitation rights.
The couple had shared custody, but Stoner said she resisted him visiting his son. The last time he saw Basil was in Wyoming on Sept. 28.
He earlier said that he had wanted to be a father his entire life and was enjoying getting to know his son.
Madaline Daly had eluded authorities for more than a month after leaving the Worland area where she was last seen, despite a nationwide Be On the Lookout (BOLO) and a felony warrant for her arrest.
Waiting By The Phone
King started a GoFundMe campaign to help Stoner with funeral expenses and to bring his son home to Nebraska with additional money to be used in Basil’s honor to address issues regarding the requirements of issuing an Amber Alert.
In his post, King outlines in detail the challenges Stoner faced, beginning in July 2024 when a pregnant Madaline Daly first went on the run, telling Stoner she was going to keep the location of the baby’s birth secret and prevent him from taking part in his life.
Stoner persevered, King said, attempting to hash out custody arrangements in the court with her continually failing to comply with court orders, including when she absconded with their son in November.
Stoner hired a private investigator who “worked non-stop to try and find the child and ensure a safe return,” King said.
Not Her First Standoff
He further outlined Madaline Daly’s alleged history of substance abuse and mental health issues, including an incident in Nebraska where she had an armed standoff with police that involved her threatening suicide.
Given her history, King said that Stoner “had an impending feeling of doom” when he heard that law enforcement was closing in that he also passed on to authorities in New Mexico.
He had sat by the phone for months, King wrote, waiting for word that his son was safe and he’d be able to celebrate Christmas with him.
The next call to Stoner came from King, he said, who had been monitoring the situation and informed Stoner of the bad news.
After Madaline Daly shot her son, she was detained and arrested before she could “harm herself and any other individuals.”
Changing Laws
Stoner now hopes to help lead efforts to loosen the stringent law governing the issuance of Amber Alerts, which his son’s case did not meet.
An Amber Alert entails a strict definition of children being abducted and in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death, which wasn’t applicable in Basil’s case, according to Sheriff Brookwell.
Stoner believes that an Ambert Alert would have made a big difference in his son’s case, and said he now plans to work to change those requirements to help others in his son’s situation, King said.
There are no court dates yet pending for Madaline Daly.
Contact Jen Kocher at jen@cowboystatedaily.com
Jen Kocher can be reached at jen@cowboystatedaily.com.
