According to authorities, a female corpse found at a funeral home was still alive two hours after it was pronounced dead.
In a surprising turn of events, a woman presumed dead at a nursing home in Waverly was found breathing just before being prepared for her funeral by employees. Constance Glantz, 74, was said to have passed away at the nursing home at 9:44 a.m., and her alleged lifeless body was transported to a Lincoln funeral home. However, as staff set her on a table to start their process, an employee noticed that she was still breathing. Ninety-one-one was immediately called, and Glantz was taken to a local hospital where she survived.
This uncommon incident has astounded Ben Houchin, a Lincoln County Sheriff's Deputy Chief, who has worked in the field for 31 years. He claimed that nothing similar had ever reached this stage. The incident unfolded in the middle of the afternoon on Monday.
The Mulberry nursing home officials had pronounced Glantz dead, and her "corpse" was moved to Butherus-Maser & Love funeral home in Lincoln. It was there that a staff member spotted movements indicating life and called emergency services. Responders arrived and rushed her to a local hospital.
No updates about her condition late Monday evening were available as investigations were in progress. Glantz's family has been notified, and a probe by the sheriff's office is continuing.
For now, there is no indication of any criminal intent by the nursing home, but the investigation is in progress. During a news conference, Houchin stated that while transporting a body typically involves at least two people, he could not confirm the exact number.
Glantz had been on hospice care at the nursing home before her "death." Houchin clarified that her case didn't fall under the categories that would trigger a coroner's investigation. They checked if a doctor had seen her within the previous week and if that doctor was willing to sign off on the death certificate. Since those boxes were checked and no suspicious circumstances were reported, the sheriff's office was not sent to the nursing home.
Houchin also mentioned that some nursing home personnel would be reviewing their protocols to ensure they're being followed and if any adjustments are necessary.
The 31-year veteran detective found the case extraordinary, particularly since no coroner or law enforcement was present when she was initially declared dead, given the circumstances.
Details about possible new procedures, how many individuals encountered Glantz while she was taken from the nursing home, and whether she is aware of the situation are awaiting revelation.
To sum up, a woman thought to be deceased in a nursing home showed signs of life when being prepared for her funeral, prompting calls to emergency services and saving her life. This incident has left even the professionals involved bewildered and deemed it an unusual case. Glantz was under hospice care at the nursing home when she was assumed to have died, which is why the sheriff's office was not involved when they picked her up from the nursing home. While the investigation is ongoing, officials are unsure if any legal process changes will be necessary.
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In light of this situation, the family of Constance Glantz was shocked when they learned that she was found breathing during her funeral preparations. Despite being declared dead at the nursing home and transferred to the funeral home, Glantz was still alive when a staff member noticed her movements.
This unexpected discovery has sparked a thorough investigation by the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, who are currently reviewing protocols and procedures at the Mulberry nursing home to prevent any similar incidents in the future.
