A Mississippi family preparing to mourn a loved one instead received a call in the middle of the night with astonishing news: he was still alive.
Walter Williams, a 78-year-old farmer and grandfather of 15, had been taken to hospice care suffering from congestive heart failure. Around 9 pm, nurses were unable to detect a pulse, and he was later pronounced dead. What followed would become one of the most disturbing cases of medical error in recent memory.
Declared dead and sent to a funeral home
After his death was certified, Williams’ body was transferred to Porter and Sons Funeral Home in Lexington, Mississippi. He was placed in a body bag and moved to the embalming room, where preparations began for embalming — a process involving invasive procedures and preservation chemicals. At the time, no one suspected he might still be alive.
Everything changed just before the embalming was due to begin. Holmes County Coroner Dexter Howard said funeral home staff noticed something alarming. Speaking to CNN, Howard recalled: “We got him into the embalming room, and we noticed his legs beginning to move, like kicking. He also began to do a little breathing.” Williams was immediately removed from the body bag and rushed back to hospital.
Reflecting later, Howard said the incident taught him a powerful lesson: “Every case I do is a learning experience… it shows that miracles can happen.”
Family receives the unthinkable call
Williams’ nephew, Eddie Hester, had earlier watched as his uncle was placed in the body bag. “I stood there and watched them zip it up at 10:30 pm,” he recalled. “Then at 2:30 am, my cousin called and said, ‘Not yet.’ I said, ‘What do you mean not yet?’ He said, ‘Daddy still here.’”
The news left the family stunned. Howard later told the BBC they were “in a state of shock” when they learned Williams was alive.
Williams was eventually able to return home, and relatives noticed an immediate change. His daughter, Martha Lewis, described the moment he spoke again: “Seemed like he had more life in him. Then he said, ‘Why did you all stop talking?’ Hallelujah, thank you, Jesus. It was not my daddy’s time.”
She added that the extra time they were given felt like a blessing: “I don’t know how much longer he will be with us, but we thank God for every moment.”
A possible explanation
Later reports suggested Williams’ pacemaker may have played a role. Coroner Howard said he believed the device may have briefly stopped functioning and then restarted. Funeral director Byron Porter, who witnessed the incident, told local station WLBT that staff noticed movement and signs of activity as they prepared to move Williams to the embalming table.
A final goodbye
Williams survived for just over two more weeks. On March 13, 2014, he was pronounced dead again after further heart complications — this time without reversal.
His nephew Eddie Hester confirmed the news to local media, saying simply, “I think he’s gone this time.” Reflecting on the unexpected extra time they had been given, he said, “It was a two-week miracle for me and my family. We enjoyed every minute of it.”
When the same coroner and funeral director returned to confirm the death the second time, the family responded with sombre humour. “I told them, ‘I thought y’all were going to send somebody else,’ and we all laughed,” Hester recalled.
