Man Accused by Sister Who Woke From Coma Is Dead

Daniel Palmer dies in custody in West Virginia
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 22, 2022 11:40 AM CDT

A bizarre case out of West Virginia has taken another turn. A 55-year-old man accused of trying to kill his sister—by her, after she woke from a two-year coma—has died in custody, reports the AP. Daniel Palmer of Cottageville died at a Charleston hospital on Thursday, one day after being brought there from the South Central Regional Jail. The cause of death hasn't been revealed, nor have any details about the medical problems that caused his transfer to the hospital in the first place.

"His overall health wasn't a strong suit to begin with, so this doesn't come as a complete shock," Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger tells MetroNews. The case made national headlines when sister Wanda Palmer regained consciousness in June—two years after suffering serious head injuries in an attack—and identified her brother as the assailant. Police had suspected him previously, but they didn't have enough evidence to charge him until his sister spoke up. Palmer was described as combative and uncooperative during his booking and at the jail itself. His sister continues her recovery in a long-term care facility. (More coma stories.)

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