Authorities in Colorado took two men into custody on Thursday, including a former county medical examiner, over allegations of improperly handling at least 20 decomposed bodies and other remains discovered behind concealed doors at a funeral home.
The indictment against 65-year-old Brian Lee Cotter, the ex-Pueblo County Coroner, and his 60-year-old brother, Christopher Aaron Cotter, comprises 125 charges of abuse of a corpse, as stated by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
Both men were apprehended in Pueblo and are being held on bail set at $1 million.
The duo is expected to make their initial court appearance on Friday afternoon in Pueblo, according to court filings.
The previous summer, state inspectors stumbled upon a body hidden behind a concealed door at Davis Mortuary, located about 110 miles south of Denver.
Upon arrival, inspectors noted a “strong odor of putrefaction.”
The Cotters do not appear to have legal representation listed to comment on their situation in court documents.
Attempts by the Associated Press to reach Brian Cotter’s relatives on Thursday were unsuccessful.
It has been reported that Brian Cotter allegedly mentioned to medical examiners that he might have provided families with fake ashes when they requested cremation.
He resigned from his position as coroner in September.
Authorities have identified 19 out of the 24 bodies that were recovered, alongside tissue from two other bodies stored in containers at the morgue, according to agency reports.
The agency noted that the bodies, along with “a number of skeletal remains,” were retained in grave violation of professional and ethical standards.
Investigators found containers labeled as containing human remains, including “human skeletal material,” and many were without appropriate identification.
“The evidence unearthed during this investigation shows a complete lack of respect for the deceased and the trust that families placed in the Davis Mortuary,” CBI Director Armando Saldate stated.
He emphasized a commitment to holding those responsible accountable for these actions.
This unsettling discovery at the Pueblo mortuary occurred during its first inspection under new regulations established in 2024 due to previous crimes within Colorado’s funeral industry.
Historically, Colorado has had among the weakest regulations for funeral homes in the country.
There were no requirements for routine inspections, nor were there criteria for operating a funeral home, leading to numerous cases of abuse.
One significant case involved nearly 200 decomposing bodies improperly stored at room temperature in a building located in Penrose, roughly 30 miles from Pueblo.
