US Woman Declared Dead Surprises All, Found Breathing At Funeral Home

A 74-year-old woman named Constance Glantz from Lincoln, Nebraska, was mistakenly declared dead at a nursing home. But just hours later, she was discovered breathing by an employee at a local funeral home, leaving both officials and the community bewildered by the strange circumstances surrounding the woman's supposed passing.

From Death to Life

The series of events began on a typical Monday morning but swiftly grew into a rare occurrence that drew the attention of the entire region. According to Lancaster County Chief Deputy Ben Houchin, Constance Glantz was getting hospice care at the Mulberry at Waverly nursing home when she was pronounced dead at 9:44 am. However, it wasn't until she had been taken to Butherus-Maser & Love Funeral Home that it was discovered she was still alive. A service member prepping her body detected signs of life and took quick action.

Following the shocking discovery, Chief Deputy Ben Houchin of the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office spoke with the media, indicating that Glantz was alive when discovered and later admitted back to the hospital, and her family was also notified. According to the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office, the woman survived for several hours before passing away later that day.

In a press conference, Houchin stated, "This is an extremely unique occurrence. I've been doing this for 31 years, and nothing like it has gotten to this point." He also stated that Glantz's death had been foreseen. "A physician had seen her in the last seven days, and the physician was willing to sign the death certificate, and... there was nothing suspicious at the time of the death," he stated.

An investigation has been launched to determine what triggered such a horrifying error. Although no evidence of criminal intent has been revealed thus far, police are rapidly investigating the case. While the investigation is ongoing, there are questions regarding whether this was a case of negligence or a simple error. Chief Deputy Houchin underlined that there is no evidence of foul play on the part of the nursing facility. 

Houchin also stated that she was pronounced dead for the second time about 16:00 local time on Tuesday (June 4), and that the post-mortem examination results will be ready in 12 weeks.