An investigation has been launched in Nebraska after a woman, initially declared dead by nursing home staff, was discovered alive at a funeral home on Monday, June 3, 2024.
The woman, Constance Glantz, 74, was pronounced dead at 9:44 a.m. by staff at The Mulberry nursing home located in Waverly, northeast of Lincoln, Nebraska. However, two hours later, funeral home workers in Lincoln found her breathing.
“In my 31 years of service, I have never encountered a case like this before. It is extremely unusual,” expressed Lancaster County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Ben Houchin at a news conference on the same Monday afternoon.
Glantz, who had been under hospice care, was moved from the nursing home to Butherus, Maser & Love Funeral Home. When funeral home staff began preparations for what they believed to be her body, they noticed she was still alive and immediately performed CPR. “They instantly called 911,” Houchin shared. Glantz was transported to a local hospital by Lincoln’s police and fire and rescue department, where she later died at 4:00 pm.
Approximately two hours after Glantz was first pronounced dead at the nursing home, at around 11:45 a.m., the call from the funeral home was received.
An investigation has been initiated by the sheriff’s office, and Glantz’s family has been notified. “So far, we have not identified any criminal intent by the nursing home, but the investigation is still in progress,” said Houchin.
When asked about the number of people who had seen Glantz between the time of her reported death and when she was found alive, Houchin was unsure. He did mention that typically, at least two individuals are involved in transporting a body. “I expect the nursing home and others will thoroughly review the incident, evaluate if new protocols are needed, and ensure all existing procedures were followed,” he added.
Houchin clarified that Glantz’s death did not warrant a coroner’s investigation as it was anticipated, a physician had seen her in the last seven days and was willing to sign the death certificate, and there was nothing suspicious about her death. Therefore, the sheriff’s office was not immediately sent to the nursing home.
There have been other instances of individuals being mistakenly declared dead. Last year, an Iowa Alzheimer’s care facility had to pay a $10,000 fine when a woman was declared dead but found alive when a funeral director opened her body bag. In another incident, a woman in Ecuador was found alive in her coffin during her wake hours after being pronounced dead.
