Daniel J. Palmer III
Daniel James Palmer III, 55, of Cottageville, West Virginia, was held at the South Central Regional Jail in July 2022 while awaiting court proceedings. Jail medical staff sent him to a Charleston hospital for an evaluation on July 20, and he died there on July 21, while on life support. The Jackson County Sheriff, Ross Mellinger, attributed the death to multiple health issues and said Palmer had been healthy when arrested, while the state did not indicate a cause of death. Sources differ on the details, and autopsy results were not publicly available, as state law limits release of autopsy information to relatives and law enforcement.
Cause of death, as reported: Died of illness. The sheriff attributes the death to multiple health issues and a rapid health decline in jail, and the state did not indicate a cause of death.
Reported by: Jackson County Sheriff Ross Mellinger (the agency that held him); state Department of Homeland Security; investigators.