Michael D. “Mike” McDaniel, 61, died September 21 during a taping of the
weekly WFYI program Indiana Week in
Review. McDaniel, Executive Director of Governmental Affairs at Krieg
DeVault LLP and former Indiana State Republican Chair, was engaged in one of the
spirited debates that are the show’s hallmark when he made a particularly
inflammatory comment about the sexual habits of the mother of Ann DeLaney,
McDaniel’s fellow panelist and former Indiana State Democratic Chair. A brawl
broke out among the panelists, during which DeLaney plunged her microphone
through McDaniel’s left eye. McDaniel was pronounced dead at the scene. Show
host Jim Shella, who was also injured in the fracas, told reporters “It’s
always a little heated around here, but today everybody just went nuts.” Shella
added, “I mean, [Panelist John] Ketzenberger broke my [expletive deleted] arm!”
Shella then announced plans to put Indiana
Week in Review on indefinite hiatus, and to be back on the air in two weeks
with a call-in show about rainbows and puppies.
