Brother arrested after W.Va. woman wakes up from 2-year coma and alleges he attacked her
07/18/2022 11:45 am PDT
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (TCD) -- A 55-year-old man was arrested after his sister woke up from a two-year coma and identified him as her alleged attacker.
According to a news release from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, in June 2020, Wanda Palmer was hospitalized after her brother, Daniel Palmer, reportedly "attacked, hacked, and left her for dead."
On June 10, 2020, the unconscious victim was discovered by neighbors with life-threatening injuries, and authorities arrived at the scene, WCHS-TV reports.
Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger told WCHS, "I wouldn’t have wagered a nickel for her life that morning. She was in that bad of shape. Quite honestly, she was unconscious, circling the drain medically. Massive, massive amounts of head trauma, consistent with some sort of machete or hatchet-type injury."
The victim’s brother reportedly has a "violent history," but investigators initially did not have enough evidence against him at the time of the alleged attack. During an interview with him, he allegedly denied any involvement in the attack and said he was not at his sister’s home. However, according to WCHS, a witness reportedly saw him there around midnight on the day she was allegedly attacked.
On June 27, WCHS said a deputy learned Wanda Palmer had started to say single words and could respond to questioning. On July 12, authorities interviewed Wanda, and she claimed the person who attacked her was her brother, WCHS reports.
On July 15, The Sheriff’s Office announced that Daniel Palmer was arrested and charged with attempted murder and malicious wounding. He reportedly remains held in the South Central Regional Jail on $500,000 bond.
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