Grim Find Made Behind Hidden Door at Funeral Home
State officials in Colorado have discovered approximately 20 decomposing bodies hidden behind a concealed door at a funeral home operated by the Pueblo County coroner. Authorities revealed Thursday that the coroner, Brian Cotter, admitted he may have provided families with fake ashes instead of actual cremated remains.
The grim discovery was made during a routine inspection of Davis Mortuary in Pueblo, about 110 miles south of Denver. Inspectors reported a “strong odor of decomposition” upon arrival and eventually located the bodies in a room concealed behind a cardboard display. According to state regulators, Cotter had requested that they not enter the area.
The incident marks yet another scandal in Colorado’s troubled funeral industry, which has long faced criticism for weak oversight. Until recently, funeral homes in the state were not subject to regular inspections or licensing requirements. New regulations implemented last year—following high-profile abuse cases—enabled unannounced inspections like the one that led to this discovery.
One such case involved nearly 200 decomposing bodies found stored at room temperature in a facility in Penrose, roughly 30 miles from Pueblo. A sentencing hearing for one of the owners in that case, who faces corpse abuse charges, is scheduled for Friday.
This was the first inspection of Davis Mortuary under the new regulations. Prior to the law change, funeral homes were only inspected if a complaint had been filed. Davis Mortuary had no such complaints, said Sam Delp, director of Colorado’s Division of Professions and Occupations.
Cotter told inspectors that some of the bodies had been stored for up to 15 years, awaiting cremation. As a result, the mortuary’s license has been suspended.
“This is a profound violation of trust and a heartbreaking betrayal of the families who entrusted their loved ones to this funeral home,” said Armando Saldate III, director of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
State troopers trained in hazardous materials were on site Thursday to assist investigators in carefully and respectfully recovering the bodies. As of now, Cotter has not been arrested, and no criminal charges have been filed. Pueblo County District Attorney Kala Beauvais stated the investigation remains ongoing.
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