Hi, I'm Holly. And I'm Hailey. Welcome to Mountain Mysteries, Tales from Appalachia. Alright, welcome back.
Hello. Hello. So as you guys have probably noticed, this episode is a little bit shorter. But don't fret.
You'll be getting another episode right after this one. That is a totally different story. Wait a minute, wait a minute. When you say right after, it means same day.
Same day. Two episodes in one day. Two episodes in one day. What in the world have we done to deserve such a blessing?
I was doing, I really, really wanted to do this story because I think it's so interesting. But it's so new, there's not a ton of information out there about it. So I did want to like, jip you guys and give you like a 15 minute episode this week. You were sweet.
But in the other story that I'm also going to do, well it's like a follow up. Didn't really fit as to like, do it in the same episode. I was like, well we'll just make it two. But it's not really a two-parter.
So you're telling me, I'm driving back your next week for you to do your other episode. Wow, within the same day. That will air in the same day. Wow.
That's a lot of gas on my part. But you know what, I'm going to do it for you all. Let's do this. Yes, it's exciting.
Let's do it. Okay, so I was really excited about this one. My mom, actually, so we were sitting at my grandmother's dining room table one evening eating dinner as we do. And heard on, she had the world news with whatever that guy's name is on TV in the other room.
And we heard this like kind of little snippet of the story just coming from that. I'm like, what the heck is going on with this? And so we started looking it up. And actually my brother looked it up and was reading it to me.
And it just got crazier and crazier the more we got into this. And I was like, heck yeah, we have to do the story on the podcast. I am so intrigued. I'm like, what is it?
Okay. So we're going to go to West Virginia again. Okay. I'm ready.
All right. In June of 2020, Wanda Palmer was attacked in her home in Jackson County, West Virginia. She was struck several times by what police believed was a hatchet or an axe. Oh, terrible way to go.
Yeah, not great. When police arrived at her home, they were met with this, you know, really grizzly scene. Wanda was sitting upright on the couch covered in blood. You know, obviously, but like, you know, she's dead.
But when they went to inspect the body, they found she was still breathing. What? She's not dead. Oh my gosh.
Yes. Secret to the emergency room. I'm moving. No, let's just leave her here.
No. No. They were able to get wanted to hospital to stabilize her. Wanda however remained in a coma.
So not able to talk to them or say anything. Police were not able to find the weapon used to attack Wanda. There were no phone records, surveillance footage or witnesses outside of Wanda's home that night that she was attacked. And I also read an article that said there was no electricity in the house.
But I only read that in one place. I'm not sure if I was accurate or not. We're also talking about the height of COVID as well. So it's not like, you know, you would be welcoming strangers into your house, you know.
Right. So it was really weird. One neighbor said that they thought that they saw a man outside of the home the night before around midnight, but they really couldn't be sure. And someone said it may have been her brother, like me coming to drop something off or like, you know, they really weren't sure who it was or if they'd even, it was only one person who had seen what they thought was something.
And it was when they were like driving over work. So not really a great eyewitness. All right. So several people were investigated for the attack, but no charges are able to be filed.
And unfortunately, the case, you know, went cold. All right. So fast forward. Two years, almost two years to the date of the attack.
So June of 2020? June of 2022. So like a couple of months ago. Okay.
Police get a call. It was from Wanda's long term care facility where she had been in a coma for two years. The person on the line told the sheriff something that I'm sure he really never thought he would hear. Wanda is awake.
She is talking and she knows who her attacker is. You stop what you do and you call ass to that long term facility. You're there. Oh, can you imagine though?
Like she like the beginning of COVID. She gets wacked with an axe wakes up two years later. I would hate to be the nurse that goes into that room with the CNA, you know, and like you're taking care of things and beep, beep, you know, you're making everything's good. And then all of a sudden, you know, uh, I know who.
Who killed me? I know who attempted to kill me. And you're like, mother. What is happening?
I would run out of that room screaming. But obviously they did the right thing. Yeah. But like, I mean, she's missed the whole pandemic.
Actually, that is not a bad way. Right? It's like she makes up like the whole world's changed. She's like, what are you doing in that mask?
I think we're all in that. It's trendy. Listen here. Let me tell you what I'm talking about.
I can't call her masks. We have some with stripes, some with flowers. It's delightful. She's trending.
Okay. Yeah, but the gift is we will know who did this because she's finally able to speak. Yes. Okay.
So they go there. Yes, she's awake. All that thing. The Ortiz comes to the facility to interview her.
She's not really able to hold. She's called Heron, but she can only give like, you know, one to word answers. I mean, she's been up for coming for two years. She's not a relearned how to walk.
I just say, she's lost a lot in two years. So they're having to, you know, very kind of yes, no questions. Blink your eyes twice. Like give us, you know, nod, that kind of thing.
So she communicated in short phrases. Wanda told them it had been her brother, Daniel Palmer the third who had attacked her that night. And for what reason? I don't know.
That's what a deputy asked. You know, I said, why would your brother have done this? Wanda responded by saying he was mean. I would say.
Yeah. I mean, that's pretty mean to an ex-tier sister. I mean, yeah, that's a, that's a lot. I mean, I too used to fight with my brother when I was younger.
I was very mean to my brother when I was in like middle school. But I don't think I ever wanted to hatch at him. No. I mean, you know, and you say all the time and he has a parent, like, you know, don't hit your sister, you know, we don't hit it, but you know, we don't take the axe and try and murder them.
We don't, you know, I hopefully wouldn't say that. I mean, I have said many times like I'm going to kill you, but I don't really mean it. Exactly. So I mean, my cousin did stand at the pitchfork when I was younger.
I still don't have to prove that. I feel like that's an episode. I was like, I'm just really shocked. I didn't get to.
It's time on a couch talking about it. I don't know. I'm like, you know, raised on a farm and it's shocked that's the worst thing. My brother hit me with a baseball bat.
We were kids. A metal one hurt like a mother in the header. I think it was on the side like my side. I think they thought my ribs were broken.
Yeah. It was pretty intense. So you got hit with a baseball bat. I got stabbed in the leg of the pitchfork.
Yeah. So good time. You know, you know, we all have childhood injuries. Tells about your childhood injuries.
So did they like immediately go and interview this guy? So Daniel was arrested shortly after Wanda gave her statement on July 15th of 2022 according to a criminal complaint. Wanda and David had a violent history. It's the same David or Daniel.
Sorry. No, that's good. Daniel. I make sure they had a violent.
It says Daniel right there and I said David. You just want it to be. Apparently. Yes, they had a violent history.
Daniel denied having anything to do with her attack two years ago and stated that he hadn't been to her home in days before the attack. Even though someone hit scene. Right. So Sheriff Melinger, who the sheriff has said that it was well known in the small town that they had this violent history and it wasn't just, you know, like when they were kids, it was well into their adulthood.
Melinger stated that Daniel was a person of interest early in the investigation but that they really just didn't have enough to do anything with it. Right. Yeah. So they're kind of like that family and the community that everybody knows is a little off.
If you live in a small town, you all know which one and if you don't know, it's you. What do you mean we have no one like that in my town? Oh, right. Yeah.
I'm like, yeah, some down south multiple of them. If you know my aunt. I mean, be weary. She's out there.
So he probably was thinking like, you know, things just got out of hand and he just took an ax to her thinking she's dead, walks away, never ever thought that not only would she live but that she would be able to tell her story and I'm actually shocked he didn't visit her and try and offer, you know, at the hospital or something. Right. It's like one of those, I mean, but I guess he figured like, she's like, she's probably standing on my maybe take a picture of what's up out of a two year coma. People do.
I know it makes me very hesitant now about pulling the plug. That's what I'm saying is that you also sparked the conversation around her dining and people because I'm my parents medical power. Oh my God. I suddenly have to sit both of them.
Like obviously they're each other's but like if something happens to both of them, it's me and I'm very much like I will pull the plug. Oh my God. Your mom turns 51 and something happens and you're like, well, she's lived a long time. I can't get rid of her.
Just like, you know, and she's like, Hey, oh, sorry about that, mom. I mean, but like they're in the medical field. They've seen all this stuff like my experience with, you know, like hospice care and that kind of thing. I'm like, if you're, I'm very strict about my wishes of like, if I'm in some type of, you know, vegetative state, you yank that plug.
Just keep in mind if that's your wish, that's one thing, but somebody else, I think we've been very. I'm like, listen, if you want anything other than this, you need to tell me they haven't told me. So they want you to pull the plug. Yeah.
For me, it would be age dependent, you know, like if you have no brain activity. Oh, well, yeah. I'm going to get that back. I'm yanking it.
I'm glad she's not my power. But you know, I think that if you're young and you're showing signs of life, oh my God, keep me alive. Yeah. In that case, if I'm old, I don't know.
I mean, if I'm in a state where I have like no brain activity. I'm normally brain dead. You better be yanking that plug. I give my organs to somebody who can use them and then light my body on fire.
How do you tell the difference for me? Because I'm always brain dead, you know? I mean, they can do that now. And they're like, I mean, I don't know how she's standing erect and functioning.
And then she's a very little brain under me. So it'd be hard to tell the difference, to be honest with you. Yeah. And I know that's something we joke about these things, but it's a horrific decision for somebody to have.
Oh my God, it'd be terrible. It'd be the worst. But also, like I've said, I've seen too many people lingering. But it has brother been charged now?
Okay, yes. So he was charged. Good. They said that at the time of his arrest, he was very combative, very resistant to arrest.
He refused to sign any paperwork once he was processed. So he didn't really have like legal representation to make an official statement or whatever because he wouldn't sign anything. So he can't really sign anything. He didn't have that accident at the door.
I didn't see anywhere where they've recovered in a kind of weapon or anything. But her saying like, hey, I was there. He attacked me. I don't really know how well that would hold up in court.
Because I'm sure it depends, could be like she's got brain damage. Right, exactly. So how it could have been anybody. And she just has come up with this idea.
And because she and her brother have had, you know, they've been at odds, he would seem the one that she could blame it on. But the thing is that we're not actually going to have a trial. He took a plea deal. He died.
What? Yeah. He died seven days after being taken into custody. From what?
The sheriff says natural causes. They said that he was very, had a lot of other health conditions. I think had like heart disease and like, I mean, if you others a picture will put a picture above him, but he does look very ill and sickly and he just died. Okay.
He's ill and sickly, but the dude two years prior has the strength to take an act which is very heavy. He may have looked at him. He may have had got COVID. He never came back from the COVID.
I mean, I don't know. What the heck? But died like seven days in just died. Do you want to go to the city?
Okay. Well, the sheriff believes that, you know, they may never really know what happened that night. So that, you know, Wanda has got a long, long road to recovery. She may never be able to do the things that she did before.
So she may never be able to fully comprehend and communicate what happened to her that night. And that's kind of it. That's not a weirdest story I've ever heard. Right?
So don't you glad I told it? I'm thrilled. Yes, because I love weird stories like that. Wow.
Yeah. So we're sitting at my grandmother's table and we just hear like, well, one wakes up after a two year coma and we're like, what the hell? So Travis was looking at it. He was like, it was the brother.
I love that your brother. My brother is the one that was the brother. He knows what's up. Wow.
So crazy. Right? Well, do you all have any crazy stories like that? Have you woken up for a two year coma?
They did. They started listening to the podcast. We're like, oh, damn it. Exactly.
Nope. Is this what the world is like now? Goodbye. Yeah.
Yeah. Well, you can reach out to us and let us know your crazy stories or your calm stories, whatever. You can do so by sending us an email at mountain mysteries dot Appalachian at gmail.com. You can find us on Facebook at mountain mysteries tales from Appalachia.
Find us on Instagram at mountain mysteries dot Appalachia. And last but not least, you can get some early episodes and some bonus content from our patreon at patreon.com slash mountain mysteries. Hey, do you have a shout out today? Sure.
Let's go to Owego, New York. Ooh, we're going to Wago. Owego. Owego.
Owego. Owego. Thank you for this extra episode. I love it.
Yeah. We'll stay tuned. We'll have another one shortly after this. So you have to stick around.
Yes. Do your regularly scheduled program. Bye. Bye.