West Virginia woman wakes up from coma after 2 years; brother charged with attempted murder
A West Virginia man was arrested after his sister woke up from a two-year coma and told authorities her brother had assaulted and left her unconscious.
In June 2020, Wanda Palmer was found unconscious at her home in Ravenswood, West Virginia, about 40 miles north of Charleston, "with a serious head injury," according to WCHS.
Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger told WCHS on Friday he "wouldn't have wagered a nickel" for Palmer's life after she was found by neighbors. "Massive, massive amounts of head trauma, consistent with some sort of machete or hatchet-type injury," Mellinger said.
With the life-threatening injuries, Palmer was put into a nursing home and spent the past two years in a coma. Investigators worked to find any leads or suspects for Palmer's condition, but none were found.
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But on June 27, deputies were told that Palmer had woken up and was beginning to speak, according to court documents obtained by WCHS. Authorities then visited Palmer on July 12 and despite suffering brain damage, she was able to speak coherently.
When asked about what happened, she said was her brother, Daniel Palmer, that attacked her.
"The keys to the whole thing lay with the victim herself and with her unable to communicate we were left with nothing. Now low and behold two years later and boom, she’s awake and able to tell us exactly what happened," Mellinger told the West Virginia Metro News.
The sheriff's department said they arrested Daniel Palmer on Friday. He is being charged with attempted murder and malicious wounding, as authorities believe he bludgeoned his sister with a weapon on the head.
His bond is set for $500,000, according to WCHS.
Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WV woman names her brother in attack that left her in 2-year coma
