The last twelve months have been about as bad as they can get for the funeral industry in southern Colorado. But they have been even more devastating for the families who trusted it. In Pueblo, families that relied on one of the city’s legacy funeral homes are right now asking themselves if they’ll ever find the peace they were promised when they needed it most.
Last week state investigators, in an inspection of the city’s Davis Mortuary, discovered the bodies of as many as twenty individuals in various states of decomposition in a room blocked by only a cardboard sign. The mortuary is owned and operated by Brian Cotter, the elected county coroner.
Until 2023, there were no state mandated rules for official inspections of Colorado mortuaries. The inspection of the Pueblo facility was its first since the passage of new legislation.
During the August 20th inspection, investigators accompanied by Cotter, noticed a “strong odor” coming from the room. Cotter explained to investigators that some of the remains had been stored there for as many as fifteen years. The room had no refrigeration.
The discovery, said Colorado Bureau of Investigation Director Armando Saldate III at an initial news conference, was “disturbing,” but that his agency, along with others, including state and local law enforcement, would conduct a “thorough, methodical investigation.”
The discovery, officials said, will be open-ended. But lessons learned from a similar investigation in nearby Penrose, Colorado, will help immensely.
In 2023, nearly 200 decomposing bodies were discovered in the Return to Nature Funeral Home. Families who had taken loved ones to the facility for a more natural and environmentally friendly funeral had been given fake ashes.
The co-owner of Return to Nature, Jon Hallford, was in court last week for sentencing in the case. Hallford’s plea agreement was for a 20-year sentence that would run concurrently with a similar 20-year federal sentence, but the judge rejected it. “No sentence,” said El Paso County judge Eric Bentley, “would ever be enough” for the victims of loved ones. Hallford’s wife, Carie, has also pled guilty in the case. She recently agreed to a 15-year sentence in federal court.
While the bodies discovered at the funeral home had been scheduled for cremation, the mortuary had not conducted a single cremation “in at least ten years,” said Sam Delp, Division Director of the state department or regulatory agencies.
Following news of the findings, a vigil, attended by family members who had relied on the funeral home for final disposition of loved ones, was held outside the facility located at Broadway and Evans in the city’s Mesa Junction.
In an interview with KKTV, Jennifer Valdez shared her family’s story. “We have a lot of family members,” she said that have been brought to the funeral home for cremation. “We have a history with Davis (mortuary).”
But like many families, Valdez said, “We are angry. We’re sad. The emotions are so mixed like one part of you wants to just cry…and you don’t know how to feel; I don’t know how to feel.”
Two days after the findings, Cotter and his brother, Chris, listed as co-owner of the mortuary, had not been charged. But Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero said that his department knows where Cotter is.
Pueblo County District Attorney Kala Beauvais also spoke at the news conference. She placed no deadline on the investigation. “The process will not be rushed,” she said. “It’s gonna be long, it’s gonna to be tedious, (it’s) gonna be thorough.” Along with the CBI and Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, officials said they would also be calling on the FBI.
Despite a situation that seemingly calls for immediate termination, the state, including the Governor, does not have that authority. But Governor Jared Polis has called on Brian Cotter to resign his office.
In calling for Cotter’s immediate resignation, Polis said Cotter had undermined public trust. “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.”
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has set up a tip-line for anyone with information or questions about this case. You may call 719.257.3359 or visit CBITips@state.co.us.
