Police say they found Palmer “in an upright position” on her couch with severe injuries caused by what appeared to be an ax or hatchet. Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger told CNN that when police arrived, they thought she was dead, but soon realized she was still alive and breathing shallowly.
Police never found the gun, Mellinger said.
A witness reported seeing Palmer’s brother, Daniel, on her porch around midnight the night before she was discovered, Mellinger said. There were no phone records, surveillance video or eyewitnesses outside Palmer’s home, the sheriff said.
The police investigated several people but were never able to press charges. A few weeks ago, Mellinger said, his office received a call from Palmer’s care facility saying she was able to speak to authorities.
Palmer was only able to answer yes or no questions, but provided enough testimony for police to arrest Daniel, Mellinger told CNN.
Daniel Palmer III, 55, was arrested and charged with attempted murder and malicious wounding on Friday, according to arrest records obtained by CNN.
He was arraigned and held on $500,000 bail, according to the Jackson County Sheriff, who said it was unclear how he pleaded. CNN was unable to locate an attorney for him, but was reaching out to the Jackson County Public Defender’s office.
Wanda Palmer is now coherent but unable to hold full-length conversations, the Jackson County Sheriff told CNN.
CNN’s Zoe Sottile contributed to this report.
