Man dies after he’s accused of attacking sister who was in coma for years, WV cops say
UPDATE: Daniel J. Palmer III died in custody, days after he was charged in the attack of his sister that left her in a coma for two years, West Virginia authorities said.
The West Virginia Department of Homeland Security said hedied at CAMC General Hospital July 21.
The original story is below.
A woman awoke after spending two years in a coma following a brutal attack and identified her brother as her assailant, West Virginia officials said.
In June 2020, Wanda Palmer was found “attacked, hacked, and left for dead,” according to a July 15 Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post.
Daniel Palmer was arrested and charged with attempted murder and malicious wounding after his sister told deputies he attacked her, the post says.
Daniel’s bond was set at $500,000, according to reporting from WCHS. After he was arraigned, Daniel was taken to South Central Regional Jail.
The sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on July 18.
When officers responded to the incident in 2020, they say they found Wanda on the couch in her home with severe injuries that appeared to come from a hatchet or ax, Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger told CNN.
Wanda’s injuries were so serious, responding officers initially thought she was dead, but realized shortly after arriving that she was still breathing, Mellinger said.
“I wouldn’t have wagered a nickel for her life that morning. She was in that bad of shape,” Mellinger told WCHS.
In the two years since the attack, cops have been chasing leads across the state, working to eliminate suspects and develop persons of interest, Mellinger said.
“From an investigator’s standpoint, this is about as rare as it gets. I think it’s a true testament to the perseverance and the strength of the victim herself.”
This story was originally published July 18, 2022 at 2:13 PM with the headline "Man dies after he’s accused of attacking sister who was in coma for years, WV cops say."
