A 74-year-old woman who was thought to have died while under hospice care was discovered to be breathing after being brought to a funeral home, authorities in Nebraska said Monday. According to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, the woman was taken to the Butherus-Maser & Love Funeral facility in Lincoln on Monday morning after being confirmed deceased at a nursing facility about 9:44 a.m. local time.
Funeral home workers performed CPR on the woman
According to Lancaster County Chief Deputy Ben Houchin, authorities rushed to the funeral parlor at 11:44 a.m. after an employee realized the woman was breathing and “instantly called 911.” Funeral home staff conducted CPR on the woman — identified by authorities as Constance Glantz of Lincoln — and she was transported to a local hospital, where she remains alive, Houchin said. Her family has been notified, he said.
“It’s a very unusual case,” Houchin said during a press briefing on Monday. “Been doing this for 31 years, and nothing like this has ever gotten to this point before.”
Because the woman’s death was expected and there was nothing strange about her supposed death, the nursing facility was not required to notify the coroner or local authorities once she was proclaimed dead, according to Houchin. The sheriff’s office is conducting an investigation, but no criminal charges are pending. “We have not been able to find any criminal intent by the nursing home but the investigation is ongoing,” Houchin stated.