DENVER — Colorado Governor Jared Polis issued a disaster emergency declaration following the discovery of more than a dozen bodies behind a hidden door at Davis Mortuary in Pueblo and called on the Pueblo County coroner to resign.
The governor's emergency declaration allows Pueblo to access more state resources to assist in the investigation and cleanup that will be needed in the mortuary building. Specifically, $300,000 will be transferred from Colorado's State Emergency Reserve Cash Fund (SERCF) to the Disaster Emergency Fund (DEF) to help with the hazardous mitigation efforts.
I’m sickened for the families of the loved ones who are impacted by this unacceptable misconduct. It is clear public trust has been lost and Mr. Cotter must resign as the Pueblo County Coroner immediately. He should be investigated and if warranted, prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. 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
In his emergency declaration, the governor also called for the resignation of Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter — who was the appointed designee for Davis Mortuary, according to Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencie (DORA) documents. DORA conducted a yearly inspection on Wednesday when inspectors found "around 20 or so" human bodies in various stages of decomposition.
State
Bodies found behind 'hidden' door at Pueblo County Coroner's private business
Some of those bodies had been there for up to 15 years, according to a statement Cotter made to DORA inspectors. DORA then suspended Cotter's license to operate the mortuary.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took control of the investigation on Thursday. The CBI will provide an update on the investigation at 1:00 p.m. on Friday.
