A Mississippi family preparing to mourn their loved one was stunned when they received an unexpected call in the middle of the night: he was still alive. The incident involving 78-year-old farmer Walter Williams has since been described by relatives and officials as both shocking and miraculous.
Declared dead after hospice care
Williams, a resident of Lexington in Mississippi and grandfather of 15, had been receiving hospice care for congestive heart failure. Nurses reportedly failed to detect a pulse around 9 pm, after which he was pronounced dead later that evening.
Following standard procedure, his body was transferred to Porter and Sons Funeral Home and placed in a body bag inside the embalming room, where preparations for embalming were to begin.
Funeral home discovery shocks staff
Just moments before embalming, staff noticed alarming signs of movement. Dexter Howard, the Holmes County coroner, later told media that Williams’ legs began to move and that faint breathing was observed.
He was immediately removed from the body bag and rushed back to hospital.
Family stunned by reversal
Williams’ nephew, Eddie Hester, recalled witnessing his uncle being zipped into the body bag earlier that night. Hours later, the family received a call saying Williams was alive. “We were just in a state of shock,” Howard later said.
Williams briefly returned home, where family members said he appeared more alert and even spoke to them. His daughter described the moment as deeply emotional, calling it “not his time”.
Possible medical explanation
Officials later suggested Williams’ pacemaker may have briefly stopped and restarted, creating confusion during the initial death declaration. Funeral director Byron Porter confirmed movement was noticed just before the embalming process began.
Williams survived for just over two weeks after the incident. On March 13, 2014, he was pronounced dead again following further cardiac complications — this time, conclusively.
A rare and sobering reminder
Coroner Howard, with over two decades of experience, said he had never encountered a case like this. The incident has since been cited as a rare reminder of the importance of medical verification — and the unpredictability of life.