Mississippi man, who seemingly came back from the dead, dies

Two weeks ago, Walter Williams, 78, was pronounced dead at his home in Lexington, Miss. A day later, he seemingly came back to life, a situation that officials quickly dubbed a miracle.

Williams, father of 11, grandfather of 15, and great-grandfather of six, is now dead again and this time, seemingly for eternity.

“They came and got him again around 4:15 a.m.,” Williams’ nephew, Eddie Hester, told TV station WAPT. “I think he’s gone this time.”

Holmes County Coroner Dexter Howard, who had originally pronounced Williams dead, said he died at his home in Lexington around 1 a.m. Thursday. The cause was not released.

In late February, Williams went into hospice care because of congestive heart failure. Howard declared him dead when he couldn’t find a pulse.

“After they got through checking him, the coroner, they pronounced him dead and put him in a plastic bag, zipped him up and took him, put him in the hearse and they left,” Hester said.

But the next day at the funeral home, Williams began moving in the body bag.

“The mortician said something wasn’t right,” said Williams’ daughter, Martha A. Lewis. “His leg started moving.”

Williams was rushed to a hospital and released a few days later.

Doctors said a mix of medicines may have caused his vital signs to appear unresponsive. Relatives also said Williams’s pacemaker may have stopped working but somehow resumed operation hours later.

Howard, the coroner, called it a miracle.

“It was a two-week miracle for me, and I enjoyed every minute of it, and my family did too,” Hester said.

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