Woman found alive at funeral home after being declared dead

Susannah Cullinane, Joe Sutton, Andy Rose and Michelle Krupa, CNN

LINCOLN, Nebraska (CNN) — Constance Glantz had been successful a nursing location – successful hospice care.

Whatever ailment had ushered nan 74-year-old toward this inescapable brink, her decease – arsenic those whose business it is to attraction for nan precocious departed often opportunity – had been expected.

They opportunity successful specified cases that “a ‘death of a diligent is anticipated,’” nan sheriff’s main lawman successful Lancaster County, Nebraska, later would explain: “A expert had seen her successful nan past 7 days, and nan expert is consenting to motion nan decease certificate, and that location was thing suspicious astatine that clip of nan decease – each of those fit.”

Under specified circumstances, a coroner’s investigation would not beryllium required and nary rule enforcement serviceman dispatched, Ben Houchin said.

“That’s nan reason,” continued Houchin, still moving done nan astonishing – immoderate mightiness opportunity miraculous – events that had only conscionable unfolded Monday, “why (the sheriff’s office) was not sent initially to nan nursing home.”

Indeed, earlier that aforesaid time – astatine 9:44 a.m. – unit astatine The Mulberry location successful Waverly had pronounced Constance dead, nan main lawman said.

Given nan result had been foreseen, astatine slightest 2 group apt past came to return her assemblage distant to beryllium prepared for what would travel next, he said – nary further confirmation needed.

At nan ceremonial location successful Lincoln, much experts successful decease soon moved to spot Constance connected a table, Houchin said, “to commencement their process.”

It was only past that a worker noticed thing genuinely odd.

Nearly 2 hours since nan nursing location staff’s last declaration and aft what would beryllium a 25-minute thrust to nan ceremonial home, Constance – whose sanction comes from nan Latin, “constant” aliases “steadfast” – exhibited thing genuinely extraordinary:

She was breathing.

“They instantly called 911,” nan seasoned lawman said.

The telephone from Butherus, Maser and Love, arsenic CNN connection KOLN reported, came successful astir 11:45 a.m., Houchin said.

Lincoln police, occurrence and rescue unit rushed to nan ceremonial home, wherever they recovered Constance engaged successful that wholly mean – and besides past someway intolerable enactment – of breathing.

“She was taken to a section hospital,” Houchin said that afternoon, “and is still alive.”

‘This is simply a very different case’

Constance persevered a fewer much hours.

Then astir 4 p.m., her breathing stopped.

She again was pronounced dead, Houchin said later, adding an autopsy was conducted Tuesday morning.

Constance’s family was told each astir what happened, Houchin said, and nan sheriff’s agency started an investigation, including visiting nan nursing home.

“At this point, we person not been capable to find immoderate criminal intent by nan nursing home, but nan investigation is ongoing,” Houchin said Monday. “I’m judge nan nursing location and everybody other is going to beryllium taking a look into what has happened, and I’m judge they’ll look and spot if caller protocols request to beryllium made and if they were each followed.”

“The ceremonial location did perfectly thing wrong,” Houchin added Tuesday, citing nan investigation. “They are nan ones who recovered that she was still alive.”

Butherus, Maser and Love Funeral Home is “proud that our board and unit handled nan caller incident successful nan news appropriately and pinch upmost care,” it said successful a statement. “Our prayers spell retired to nan family.

“We convey Lincoln Fire & Rescue and nan Lincoln Police Department for their speedy response,” it added. “Thank you to each who person placed their loved ones successful our care. We will proceed to service our organization pinch our halfway values: faith, trust, and compassion.

The ceremonial location and nan nursing location person been “totally cooperative” pinch nan sheriff’s agency investigation, Houchin said. CNN has sought remark from both.

Whether charges are warranted apt won’t beryllium decided until aft nan last autopsy results are in, up to 12 weeks from now, he said: “That’s going to beryllium nan adjacent large step.”

For his part, nan main lawman has “been doing this 31 years, and thing for illustration this has ever gotten to this constituent before,” he told reporters.

“This,” he observed, possibly unnecessarily, “is a very different case.”