From Fox News: State inspectors have uncovered nearly 20 decomposing bodies hidden inside a Colorado funeral home operated by the county’s elected coroner — a discovery authorities called a “profound violation of trust and a heartbreaking betrayal.”
The remains, believed to date back as far as 15 years, were discovered Wednesday in a concealed room at Davis Mortuary, according to officials during a Thursday news conference held by the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office.
The chamber’s door was hidden behind a cardboard display, and inspectors noted a “strong odor” upon finding the room, local outlets reported, citing state documents.
The private facility has been operating as a funeral home since 2010, and just underwent its first inspection this week, based on a new law recently passed that requires annual inspections.
According to the Colorado Sun, inspectors observed from the doorway that there were an estimated 20 bodies stored in the room.
“In order to really assess how many were in the room, they would have had to have started moving them around, which is not what we wanted them to be doing,” Sam Delp, director of DORA’s Division of Professions and Occupations, explained.
Brian Cotter, who has served as the county coroner since 2014 and co-owns the funeral home with his brother, Chris Cotter, reportedly asked inspectors not to enter the room. The report reads:
Cotter reportedly told officials that some of the bodies in the hidden room had been awaiting cremation for over a decade and acknowledged that families may have been provided fake cremains of their relatives.
WATCH the Fox31 Denver report below for more details on the horrifying find:
Below is the full press conference as authorities announced the discovery on Thursday.
Nearly 20 decomposing bodies found stashed in hidden room of funeral home ran by county coroner https://t.co/yIiMWln8cH
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 22, 2025
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