Woman Wakes From Coma 2 Years After Brutal Murder Attempt - And Names Her Brother As Suspect!

A West Virginia woman has woken up from a coma two years after a murder attempt — and you can sure as heck bet she’s identified a suspect!

51-year-old Wanda Palmer was brutally attacked in June 2020 inside of her Cottageville home. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Department stated the woman was “attacked, hacked, and left for dead.” According to records, she was found in an upright position on her couch covered in blood. Police initially believed she was deceased before realizing she was “still alive and breathing shallowly,” but law enforcement didn’t know if she’d survive. While a weapon was never found, it’s speculated a “machete or hatchet-type” blade was used. Sheriff Ross Mellinger recalled in a statement to Fox 11:

“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.”

Just awful…

According to Sheriff Mellinger, a witness and neighbor of Wanda’s said they had seen the victim’s brother, Daniel Palmer, on the porch around midnight the night before she was discovered. Police investigated several people, including the brother who had a violent record, but never found enough evidence to file charges.

Amazingly, the victim defied the odds of survival and went into a coma. She would stay in that state while living in a nursing home for nearly two years. But in late June, she began to slowly wake up — much to the surprise of her caretakers — and even more to the surprise of law enforcement! A call was made to JCSD by the care facility and law enforcement went to speak to Palmer on July 12. The woman was only able to answer yes or no questions, but with the help of Sheriff Ross she was able to identify her attacker as her brother!

Wow. Two years after barely surviving the attack she was able to wake up from a coma and tell police who did such an awful thing to her! Amazing!

They needed a statement to make an arrest, though. When asked why Daniel attacked her at a later date, Wanda simply said:

“He was mean.”

Short, but sufficient. That was all investigators needed, and they were able to arrest the elder brother and charge him with attempted murder and malicious wounding. A post on the official JCSD Facebook page read:

“ARRESTED….After 2 years of being hospitalized and in a coma resulting from being attacked, hacked, and left for dead, Wanda Palmer is now awake to see her assailant in custody – her brother, Daniel Palmer. Daniel Palmer is charged with Attempted Murder and Malicious Wounding following the June 2020 incident near Cottageville. Continued prayers for the victim please.”

See the full post (below):

Daniel is currently listed as being held at the South Central Regional Jail and Correctional Facility. His bail amount has been set at $500,000. The sheriff commended the attacked woman on her “strength” and “perseverance” to the outlet by saying:

“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.”

What an incredibly strong woman! We wish Wanda healing and hope she gets the justice she deserves.

[Image via YouTube/CBS Miami /Facebook/Jackson County Sheriff’s Department]