Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Friday called for a county coroner to resign after state inspectors found at least 20 decomposing bodies behind a hidden door in a funeral home he owns.
Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter told inspectors from the state Department of Regulatory Agencies that some of the bodies had been awaiting cremation for about 15 years, according to a document from state regulators. Cotter also told them he may have given fake ashes to families who wanted their loved ones cremated.
Inspectors found a “strong odor of decomposition” during a Wednesday inspection of Davis Mortuary in Pueblo, about 110 miles (177 kilometers) south of Denver, and discovered the bodies in a room hidden behind a cardboard display. Cotter asked the inspectors not to enter the room, according to the documents.
Polis said Cotter undermined public trust with how he handled the bodies and should resign immediately. Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero also called for Cotter's resignation at a news conference Friday.
“No one should ever have to wonder if their loved one is being taken care of with dignity and respect after they’ve passed, and Mr. Cotter must be held to account for his actions,” Polis said.
The governor does not have the authority to remove Cotter, an elected official, from office. If Cotter does not resign, voters could petition for a recall election to remove him.
Cotter did not immediately respond Friday to email and phone messages seeking comment on the calls for his resignation.
Cotter has not been arrested. Pueblo County District Attorney Kala Beauvais said no charges will be filed until a “slow and thorough” investigation is complete.
Investigators are still searching the property in hazmat gear and collecting evidence to build a criminal case and start identifying the victims, said Armando Saldate III, director of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. He said the bureau has received more than 500 calls from people who believe their loved ones may be among the deceased.
“We know that families are desperately seeking information,” Saldate said. “This is going to be a long and complex case. We have a lot of forensic evidence to process and a great deal of information to sort through from the public.”
Colorado long had minimal oversight of funeral homes, which allowed for numerous abuses. In one case, nearly 200 decomposing bodies were found stored at room temperature in a building in Penrose, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Pueblo.
The discovery in Pueblo occurred during the first inspection of Davis Mortuary, conducted under state laws adopted last year to tighten oversight of Colorado’s funeral industry. Before the change, funeral homes could only be inspected if a complaint was filed against them. State regulators said Davis Mortuary did not have any prior complaints.
Cotter was elected as county coroner in 2014, and his current term is set to end in 2027. He and his brother, Chris, bought Davis Mortuary in 1989 after learning from their father, who owned and operated funeral homes in Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska, according to the mortuary’s website.
An attorney with the National Funeral Directors Association, Chris Farmer, said the discovery at the Pueblo funeral home suggests Colorado’s increased oversight of the industry is working.
“These inspectors should be lauded for finding remains behind ‘hidden doors,’” said Farmer, the industry group’s chief counsel. “There are over 250 funeral homes and crematories in Colorado...It will take some time to inspect them all."
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Associated Press writer Matthew Brown contributed reporting from Billings, Montana.
