PUEBLO, Colo. — The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) says that three more bodies have been positively identified in the Davis Mortuary investigation, bringing the total number individuals identified so far from six to nine.
The latest three bodies are of individuals who died between the years of 2010 and 2012. Their identities were not released to the public.
CBI says that 15 bodies remain unidentified and are currently undergoing Forensic Genetic Genealogy (FGG) with the help of a Colorado-based technology company ANDE, which is assisting the Pueblo County Coroner's Office and CBI with the identification process free of charge.
The CBI and Pueblo County Coroner are citing issues such as poor records from Davis Mortuary, a lack of investigative leads, and degraded DNA as ongoing issues in the identification process.
The CBI says they are also continuing to investigate multiple containers of bones, cremains, and possible remains found in the Davis Mortuary, and that discovery represents an unknown number of deceased individuals at this point in the investigation.
So far, the CBI has received 1,542 phone and email tips in this case and 711 responses to its possible victim form.
At the last update in October, CBI officials said they had identified 6 of the 24 bodies and said those people had died between 2010 and 2012.
- Watch that full October news conference with authorities below:
So what about charges against the Cotter brothers — the joint owners of Davis Mortuary? The community has wanted that answer from day one.
District Attorney Kala Beauvais explained that she could not file all appropriate charges until the CBI finishes its investigation and turns the report over to her office. But the CBI cannot finish its investigation until it identifies all the bodies found, so the timeline remains up in the air.
"I cannot act until the investigation is complete because I will not risk violating constitutional, ethical, or legal rules. Again, we ask for patience with the process so that this case can be handled correctly, and we have the best case to put forward to the court. We owe that to the victims, victims' families, and to our community. Thank you," said 10th Judicial District Attorney Kala Beauvais in October.
Scripps News Colorado Springs has been extensively following the Davis Mortuary investigation. For a look at all of our previous coverage, click here.
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