Overview
- State inspectors reported a strong odor and a door concealed by a cardboard display at Davis Mortuary, where they found multiple bodies in various stages of decomposition in a hidden room.
- Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter told inspectors some remains had awaited cremation for about 15 years and said he may have given families fake cremains.
- Regulators issued a summary suspension alleging willful dishonest conduct and negligence, citing failures to properly store or dispose of remains and evidence the facility exceeded its refrigeration capacity.
- The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is leading a criminal probe at local request; no arrests or charges have been filed, and authorities say identifying victims and notifying families will take time, with the final count still being established.
- Gov. Jared Polis called for Cotter's immediate resignation and declared an emergency to mobilize resources, as the case tests funeral-home reforms enacted after the 2023 Return to Nature scandal.