Authorities have reported that inspectors in Colorado uncovered around 20 decomposing bodies in concealed rooms at a funeral home where the county medical examiner is located.
This unsettling discovery was made during an inspection at Davis Funeral in Pueblo on Wednesday. The bodies were found in a space hidden behind a cardboard display.
Brian Cotter, who owns the funeral home and serves as the county coroner, had requested that the inspector not enter that particular room, according to documents from state regulators.
Upon entering, inspectors were hit with a “strong smell of decomposition,” the documents indicated.
Cotter informed inspectors that some of the bodies had been awaiting cremation for about 15 years. There were also allegations that families may have been given false information about the status of their deceased loved ones.
“This is a violation of trust and a painful betrayal for families who have entrusted their loved ones to this establishment,” stated Armando Saldate III, Director of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, during a press conference on Thursday.
Saldate expressed that “this is a scenario nobody wants to encounter,” emphasizing that they had received credible information suggesting that Davis’ morgue had improperly preserved human remains over the years.
The estimated 20 bodies have not yet been removed, and officials admit they still don’t have an exact count.
“Our main focus is to handle the scene with respect, identify all the deceased, and inform their families. Regrettably, this process will take some time,” Saldate noted to reporters.
On Thursday, investigators collected evidence from Davis Funeral with assistance from state troopers trained to handle hazardous materials.
The conditions at the funeral home have reportedly been described as disturbing.
A summary suspension from the state’s Funeral and Funeral Science Services indicated that Cotter “engaged in intentional misconduct or negligence in the handling of final disposition, which could lead to significant issues or harm.”
The suspension order mentioned that Davis’ morgue had failed to properly store, refrigerate, cremate, or bury human remains within 24 hours of taking custody of them.
Cotter has not been arrested, and no charges have been filed as the comprehensive investigation is still ongoing, according to Pueblo County District Attorney Kara Boweiss.
Cotter and his brother Chris reportedly purchased the funeral home in 1989.
Historically, Colorado has had some of the weakest oversight regarding funeral home operators, leading to numerous issues, including cases involving nearly 200 decomposing bodies found improperly stored just 30 miles away from Davis’ location.
John and Curry Hallford are facing over 200 criminal charges, including money laundering, forgery, theft, and abuse of corpses related to harrowing findings at the Back to Nature Funeral Home in Colorado Springs.
They have been accused of 15 federal crimes since April last year, reportedly collecting over $130,000 from grieving families for cremation and burial services that were never carried out.
A court session regarding the alleged corpse abuse by one of the funeral home owners is scheduled for Friday.
“The positive aspect is that we have a level of experience with this situation,” Saldate remarked, adding that some investigators involved in the Pueblo case have previously worked on the case concerning the Grim to Nature Funeral Home.
The disturbing findings at Davis Funeral emerged during an initial inspection, carried out under new regulations established last year in response to previous incidents within Colorado’s funeral industry.
The investigation remains active.
