A woman in West Virginia just woke up after spending two years in a coma following a brutal attack and identified her mystery attacker as a close family member, West Virginia officials said.
According to investigators, Wanda Palmer, 51, was “attacked, hacked, and left for dead” on the couch at her Cottageville, West Virginia, home in June 2020. When police discovered her, they initially believed she was dead, but when they noticed she was breathing, they were able to save her life. She was taken to the hospital right away, where she has been in a coma ever since.
“I wouldn’t have wagered a nickel for her life that morning. She was in that bad a shape,” Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger said, “She was unconscious and quite honestly circling the drain, medically.”
A hatchet or axe was probably used in the attack, police claimed at the time, but they were unable to find the weapon or identify a suspect in the case.
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.”
However, in a report by WCHS-TV, a few weeks ago, Palmer regained consciousness and was able to speak single words, Officers showed up to interview her and after working through a bunch of yes-or-no questions, she identified her brother later on as her attacker.
On Friday, police arrested Daniel Palmer III, 55, on charges of attempted murder and malicious wounding. After he was arraigned, Daniel was taken to South Central Regional Jail. Daniel’s bond was set at $500,000.
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Sources: Dailywire, Katv, West
