Colorado coroner accused of hiding bodies for up to 15 years inside the mortuary he operates

Inspectors have found "several bodies" behind a barricaded door at a mortuary operated by the Pueblo County Coroner, according to Pueblo County. That discovery happened during an annual inspection of Davis Mortuary by the state. 

"The appointed designee for the funeral home, Brian Cotter, told inspectors that the bodies were awaiting cremation and admitted that some bodies had been in the room for approximately 15 years," Lee Rasizer, Public Information Officer for the Department of Regulatory Agencies, said in a statement. "He also admitted that he may have issued next-of-kin fake cremains."  

An Order of Suspension from Pueblo County states that a cardboard display hid the door. Inspectors entered the room and found "several bodies in various stages of decomposition," according to Colorado's Department of Regulatory Agencies. A spokesperson wrote, "Upon removing the cardboard display, Mr. Cotter asked the inspectors not to enter the room behind the previously hidden door."

Davis Mortuary, located at 128 Broadway Avenue in Pueblo, has been suspended, according to DORA. The agency stated that it was the first annual inspection of the facility following the passage of House Bill 24-1335, which granted DORA increased inspection authority and established guidelines for routine inspections.

The mortuary's website states, "Here to serve when you need us most," and says it's locally owned and operated since 1905.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has opened a criminal investigation into Davis Mortuary.