An Indiana man who reported his wife missing admitted to beating her to death with a hammer less than 24 hours later.
Daniel Keith Flaherty, 42, is currently being held without bond at the jail in Gibson County on a charge of murder.
Daniel Told Investigators She Left their Home to Go to Her Mother's House
According to a sheriff's office press statement and a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law & Crime, he reported Kayla Flaherty, 36, missing on Oct. 3, claiming that she left her Patoka residence at approximately 1:30 a.m. that morning.
According to him, she had been heading to her mother's home, but her mother ended up telling investigators that Kayla did not show up Thursday morning.
Authorities found nothing when they searched the route her husband claimed she took to the residence. Kayla, who was scheduled to work at Good Samaritan Hospital on Thursday, did not respond when her employer called her off her shift, the affidavit stated.
Kayla Had Filed for Divorce but 'Daniel Had Not Been Served the Divorce Papers'
Investigators later discovered that Kayla Flaherty had recently filed to divorce her husband, "although Daniel Flaherty had not been served the divorce papers, and Daniel Flaherty advised that when Kayla Flaherty left the house they were having a discussion about their relationship."
The defendant allegedly gave information that his wife's credit card was used at the Hucks Gas Station on 6th St. near U.S. Highway 41 in Vincennes, the city where her mother lives.
A license plate reader captured her vehicle there at 11:50 p.m. on Oct. 2. Defendant Flaherty allegedly told an investigator that she had returned to the house after that time to, in the affidavit's words, "bring a backpack."
When investigators checked her cellphone history, they tracked her location within Gibson County, but there was no indication she was headed toward Vincennes, in neighboring Knox County, before her disappearance.
The couple's 2019 Toyota Highlander had a feature for vehicle tracking, but when defendant Flaherty contacted the company to turn on the feature, they said they were unable to do so despite their attempts, authorities wrote.
Daniel Confessed to Killing Kayla, Then Rigging Her Vehicle to Drive into the River and Setting it on Fire with Her Inside
Ultimately, defendant Flaherty on Friday told investigators with the sheriff and state police that he struck his wife multiple times with a hammer in their living room on Thursday morning.
"Daniel Flaherty admitted that he rigged the vehicle to drive into the Wabash River and set fire to the 2019 Highlander along with the body of Kayla Flaherty," they wrote. "Daniel Flaherty further identified the location of the site via a map, and pointed out a location in far southwest Knox County, Indiana."
Investigators reached the location on Oct. 6, and found the burned Toyota SUV with human remains inside, they wrote.
An initial hearing was held for defendant Flaherty on Monday morning
"State appears and Defendant appears via video uplink," the court notes stated in online records. "Defendant is advised of the charge and rights. Court finds probable cause and enters a Not Guilty plea. Defendant request a public defender. Court questions the Defendant. Court denies request at this time."
A status hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 16.
