Wyoming mother pleads guilty to murdering 11-month-old son after custody dispute

A Wyoming woman faces life in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree murder for shooting her 11-month-old son in the face during a standoff with police in New Mexico. Madeleine Veronik Dali, 36, had abducted the boy, Basil Stoner, in defiance of a court order granting temporary custody to the father, according to Grant County police. Officers located Dali on December 23 at a mobile home park near Silver City, New Mexico, during an unrelated weapons check. As police surrounded the trailer and a search warrant was pending, a single gunshot was heard from inside. Investigators said Dali had fired a 9mm pistol at the child and then attempted to turn the gun on herself before being taken into custody. In her statement to police, Dali said she had taken the child to avoid transporting him monthly between Nebraska and Wyoming, and that on seeing officers arrive she concluded the father, identified in the case as Jake Basil, could not be allowed to take the boy. She also alleged the child would face sexual abuse in his father's care, but presented no evidence supporting the claim. Dali pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and is facing the maximum penalty of life in prison. No further details on sentencing were immediately available.