PATOKA — A Patoka man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison following the tragic killing of his wife, an investigation that unraveled a deceptive missing person report.
Daniel Flaherty, 42, was sentenced in October after entering into a plea agreement for the murder of 36-year-old Kayla Flaherty.
The case began in October 2024 when Daniel Flaherty initially reported his wife missing. He had claimed that 36-year-old Kayla—from whom he was estranged and who had recently filed for divorce in September—was heading to her mother’s home in Vincennes, but never arrived.
Investigators quickly grew suspicious as checks showed no evidence of her travel, and she failed to show up for work at Good Samaritan Hospital. Law enforcement agencies worked around the clock, leading to a grim discovery when authorities found Kayla Flaherty’s body just off Wabash River Road in Knox County in October 2024.
Following the discovery, the Gibson County Sheriff’s Office arrested Daniel Flaherty, who was subsequently charged and prosecuted before reaching a plea agreement, leading to his 45-year sentence.
