A woman from Lincoln, Nebraska, who was believed to be deceased was discovered breathing at a funeral home on Monday (June 3), authorities said.
Constance Glantz, 74, had been living at The Mulberry nursing home and was reportedly in hospice care.
Staff brought Glantz to a funeral home after pronouncing her dead on Monday at 9:44 a.m.
However, nearly two hours after the nursing home staff declared her dead and following a 25-minute drive to Butherus Maser & Love Funeral Home, the 74-year-old showed signs of life.
The discovery was reportedly made after an employee placed the woman on a table “to start their process.”
A 74-year-old woman named Constance Glantz was found breathing hours after being declared deceased at her nursing home
Image credits: Pexels/Pavel Danilyuk
The funeral home workers quickly phoned 911, and police, fire, and medical personnel responded.
After it was confirmed that Glantz was indeed breathing, the Nebraska resident was treated and taken to a local hospital, said Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Ben Houchin.
“This is a very unusual case,” described Houchin during a press conference.
“I’ve been doing this for 31 years, and nothing like this has ever gotten to this point before.”
The woman, who was in hospice care, had been taken to the Butherus Maser & Love Funeral Home in Lincoln, Nebraska
The sheriff’s office has reportedly started an investigation into the case, including visiting the nursing home.
“At this point, we have not been able to find any criminal intent by the nursing home, but the investigation is ongoing,” Houchin added.
“I’m sure the nursing home and everybody else is going to be taking a look into what has happened, and I’m sure they’ll look and see if new protocols need to be made and if they were all followed.”
Authorities started an investigation into the case, including visiting the nursing home, but say they haven’t found any evidence of “criminal intent”
The authorities did not provide any additional details about Glantz, including her health record or how long she’d been in hospice.
In 2020, a similar case occurred when a woman with cerebral palsy who had been pronounced dead by paramedics was discovered to be breathing while funeral workers prepared to embalm her body.
“This nursing home needs to be held accountable,” a Facebook user commented
