Authorities in Nebraska were surprised to discover that a 74-year-old woman, who was thought to have passed away while under hospice care, was actually found breathing after being taken to a funeral home.
According to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, the Butherus-Maser & Love Funeral Home in Lincoln received a woman’s body on Monday morning. The woman had previously been declared dead at approximately 9:44 a.m. local time while in a nursing home.
According to Lancaster County Chief Deputy Ben Houchin, an employee at the funeral home was quick to notice a woman was breathing and immediately called 911. This incident occurred at approximately 11:44 a.m.
According to Houchin, the funeral home staff performed CPR on Constance Glantz of Lincoln, who was identified by authorities. She was then taken to a nearby hospital where she is currently alive and receiving treatment. Houchin also mentioned that her family has already been informed about the situation.
During a press briefing on Monday, Houchin expressed that the case at hand is extremely uncommon. “I’ve been in this profession for 31 years and I have never seen a situation like this progress to this extent,” he stated.
According to Houchin, since the nursing home was aware of the woman’s expected death and there were no signs of foul play, they were not required to notify the coroner or local authorities upon her passing.
Houchin has mentioned that the investigation is being carried out by the sheriff’s office and that there are currently no pending criminal charges.
Houchin stated that the investigation is still ongoing, but they have not discovered any indication of criminal intent from the nursing home.
