USA: Woman wakes up from coma after two years and identifies her brother as aggressor

A West Virginia woman woke up from a two-year coma and identified her brother as her attacker, according to police.

Wanda Palmer, 51, accused her brother of attacking her at her home near Cottageville, West Virginia, in June 2020. Police said Palmer was “attacked and left for dead,” according to a statement published by the Department of Jackson County Sheriff on social media.

Police say they found Palmer on his couch with serious injuries from what appeared to be an axe. Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger told CNN that when the police arrived they thought she was dead, but realized soon after that the woman was still alive and breathing shallowly.

Police never recovered the murder weapon, Mellinger said.

A witness reported seeing Palmer’s brother Daniel on his porch shortly before midnight the night before the discovery, the sheriff said. There were no phone records, surveillance footage or eyewitnesses outside Palmer’s home, Mellinger said.

The police investigated several people but were never able to file a formal complaint against anyone. A few weeks ago, Mellinger said, her office got a call from the call center where Palmer was hospitalized, saying she could speak to authorities.

The woman was only able to answer yes or no questions, but she provided enough testimony for the police to arrest Daniel, Mellinger told CNN .

Daniel Palmer III, 55, was arrested and charged with attempted murder and malicious wounding last Friday, according to arrest records obtained by the CNN .

He was indicted, on $500,000 bond, according to the county sheriff, who said it was unclear whether he pleaded guilty or not guilty. THE CNN could not identify his attorney, but contacted the Jackson County Public Defender’s Office.

Wanda Palmer is now conscious but unable to have full conversations, Mellinger told CNN .