Mom accused of shooting 11-month-old son in the face because she did not want to lose custody

A Wyoming mother is facing murder charges after allegedly shooting her 11-month-old son in the face because she did not want to lose custody.

The killing of Basil Emeric Daly marked a tragic end to a dispute between his parents that began when he was born.

Mom Madeline Daly, 35, shared custody with Basil’s father, Jake Stoner of Kilgore, Nebraska; in an interview with Cowboy State Daily, Stoner said he’d had a rocky relationship with the mother of his child, and was forced to take her to court when she resisted his attempts to visit with his son.

Stoner last saw baby Basil on September 28, and said he was “looking forward to his next visit and getting to know his son.” Cowboy State Daily reported.

However, in October, Daly failed to show for a scheduled court hearing on visitation, and Stoner was subsequently granted temporary emergency custody by a Washakie County District Court judge.

Daly, adamant that she was not going to hand her baby over to his father, instead chose to go on the run, authorities say.

On November 22, the Washakie County Sheriff’s Office issued a plea for public help on Facebook, saying it believed the mother and child could be traveling in a grey 2017 Dodge Ram and may have left Wyoming.

“We do not have information indicating that Basil is in immediate danger; however, it is important that he is safely returned to his custodial parent,” the sheriff’s office said.

A month later, the Facebook post was updated with a short message: “Child is no longer missing.”

What may have been cause for hope quickly turned to horror when it emerged that baby Basil had not been rescued; police had found him, but his mom allegedly shot her 11-month-old son in the head rather than relinquish custody.

Police and court documents later revealed that Daly had been on the run for about five weeks when a tip came in that she was staying at an RV park near Silver City, New Mexico.

Grant County Sheriff deputies tracked her down there on December 23; when Daly spotted them, she ran and hid in a nearby RV whose owner refused to let them follow her.

The deputies eventually spoke with Daly by phone, who refused to leave the RV. By then, they had learned she might be armed with a handgun and had requested backup from the local state police SWAT team.

While they were waiting, the deputies heard a gunshot from inside the RV. At that point, they forced their way in and found an infant with a gunshot wound to the head. His mom had a gun pointed at her head, but a detective was able to disarm her, and she was taken into custody.

Baby Basil was confirmed dead at the scene.

After her arrest, Daly reportedly told detectives she “knew her time was up”, according to an affidavit filed in court, and she knew she was breaking the law but did it to keep her son safe and out of reach of his father.

Daly has been charged with first-degree murder and first-degree child abuse resulting in death, and remains in custody in Grant County.