74-year-old woman declared dead in hospice – found breathless in funeral home

A 74-year-old woman who was believed to have died in a hospice was found to be breathing after being transported to a funeral home, Nebraska authorities said Monday.

According to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, the woman was taken to Butherus-Maser & Love Funeral Home in Lincoln Monday morning from a nursing home, where she was pronounced dead at around 9:44 a.m. local time.

Authorities responded to the funeral home after an employee noticed the woman was breathing and “immediately called 911,” said Lancaster County Deputy Police Chief Ben Houchin.

Funeral staff performed CPR on the woman – identified by authorities as Constance Glantz of Lincoln – and took her to a local hospital, where she is still alive, Houchin said. Her family has been notified, he said.

“It’s a very unusual case,” Houchin said during a press conference on Monday. “I’ve been doing this for 31 years and never before has anything like this gotten this far.”

Because this was a case in which a death was expected and there was nothing suspicious about her presumed death, the nursing home did not have to contact the coroner or local authorities after the woman was declared dead, Houchin said.

The sheriff’s office is investigating, and Houchin said no criminal charges have been filed.

“We have not been able to establish any criminal intent on the part of the nursing home, but the investigation is ongoing,” Houchin said.