PUEBLO, Colo. — State inspectors uncovered a disturbing scene at a Colorado funeral home operated by a county coroner, where decomposing bodies were found hidden behind a concealed door. Authorities revealed that the coroner admitted he may have provided fake ashes to grieving families who requested cremations.
The shocking discovery was made on Wednesday at Davis Mortuary in Pueblo, about 110 miles south of Denver. Inspectors reported a strong odor of decomposition upon arrival and later located the bodies in a room hidden behind a cardboard display.
Coroner’s Involvement & Investigation
According to state documents, Brian Cotter, the mortuary owner and Pueblo County coroner, allegedly tried to block access to the concealed room. He also admitted that some bodies had been stored for nearly 15 years without cremation.
The mortuary’s registration was immediately suspended, forcing its closure. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched a criminal investigation at the request of local authorities, with a press conference expected later Thursday.
Funeral Home Under Scrutiny
A woman answering the phone at Davis Mortuary declined to comment and refused to make Cotter available for interviews. Cotter also did not respond to messages left at the coroner’s office.
According to the business’s website, Cotter and his brother purchased the mortuary in 1989, bringing what they called an “old school” approach to funeral services, a method they learned from their father, who ran funeral homes in Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska.
Colorado’s Troubled Funeral Industry
Colorado has faced a series of scandals involving funeral homes due to its previously lax regulations:
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Nearly 200 decomposing bodies were found at a Penrose funeral home last year, where owners allegedly stored corpses at room temperature.
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Owners of a Grand Junction funeral home were convicted of selling body parts and providing fake ashes to families.
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In response, state lawmakers passed reforms in 2023 requiring:
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Routine inspections of funeral homes
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Licensing for funeral directors
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Background checks and exams for workers in the industry
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Before these reforms, Colorado had some of the weakest funeral home regulations in the country — operators weren’t even required to have a high school diploma.
The investigation into Davis Mortuary is ongoing, and criminal charges are expected as authorities uncover more details.
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Katie is a senior who has been on staff for three years. Her favorite type of stories to write is reviews and features. Katie’s favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.
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