Woman awakens from two-year coma, identifies brother as her attacker

Charleston, West Virginia — A West Virginia man has been charged with trying to kill his sister, who recently awakened from a two-year coma and identified him as her attacker, authorities said.

News outlets reported that Wanda Palmer was found unconscious with serious head injuries at her home in Jackson County on June 10, 2020.

Palmer was in a coma in a nursing home for two years. Her brother, Daniel Palmer, had been identified as a suspect, but investigators didn't have enough evidence to file charges, court documents said.

A deputy received a call June 27 from a protective services worker who said Wanda Palmer had started to speak single words and seemed to respond when questioned.

In a July 12 interview with a deputy, Wanda Palmer said the person who injured her was her brother and she identified him as Daniel, a criminal complaint obtained by WCHS-TV said.

Daniel Palmer, 55, has been charged with attempted murder and malicious wounding, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook.

Sheriff Ross Mellinger said the situation "is about as rare as it gets."

Online court records show Daniel Palmer is being held in jail on $500,000 bail. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer Sunday.