In the small community of Luck, Wisconsin, the life of Chad Robert Daniels, a 48-year-old Caucasian male, was unexpectedly cut short on the evening of Friday, October 29, 2021. Known affectionately as "Boom Boom," Chad was a tenderhearted individual, an avid outdoorsman who found joy in hunting and fishing. He was a man of many trades, having worked as a welder and owned his own taxidermy business called "Rack it up Taxidermy." At the time of his death, he was an employee at Durex in Luck.
More than anything, he treasured the time spent with his daughters.
On that fateful evening, just after 5 p.m., the Polk County Sheriff's Office received a distressing call about a gunshot victim at a residence on Butternut Avenue. When law enforcement arrived at the scene, they discovered Chad Daniels's body. The initial joy of a Friday evening was shattered, replaced by the grim reality of a homicide investigation in the quiet village.
The investigation quickly led to a suspect, and an arrest was made shortly after the discovery. The individual taken into custody was identified as 34-year-old Michael Radke, also a resident of Luck. The Polk County Sheriff's Office later confirmed that Radke was being held in connection with the shooting. The community was left reeling from the violent death of one of its own, with many questions and few immediate answers.
In the days that followed, the legal process began to unfold. Michael Radke was formally charged with 1st Degree Intentional Homicide. Appearing in Polk County Circuit Court on November 1, 2021, a cash bond was set at $250,000. After numerous court hearings, the case reached its conclusion in April 2023, when Radke entered a guilty plea to the charge. Two months later, in June 2023, Michael Radke was sentenced for the murder of Chad Daniels. A judge ordered him to serve a life sentence, with the possibility of release to extended supervision after 50 years of confinement.
