PUEBLO, Colo. — Four of the more than two dozen decomposing bodies found stashed behind a door at a mortuary in Pueblo last month have been identified by coroners, investigators with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said Tuesday.
Though the remains have been positively identified by both coroners from El Paso and Fremont counties, CBI officials said they would not be releasing any identifiable information about those remains out of respect for the privacy of the victims and their families.
Identifications on the other 22 remains “could take a significant amount of time,” a spokesperson for the agency said in an update of the criminal investigation connected to Davis Mortuary in Pueblo, which began shortly last month, after inspectors found several bodies in various stages of decomposition in a room hidden behind a cardboard display inside the building.
The mortuary was then issued a summary suspension of its license to operate by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) on Aug. 20, 2025.
Shortly after, at least 24 bodies from the mortuary along with “multiple containers of bones and several containers of probable human tissue” that belong to an unknown number of deceased individuals were transferred to the El Paso County Coroner’s Office to be possibly identified.
Denver7 reported on Aug. 25 that investigators said the identification process for the remains could take several months, “due to the condition of the remains and the unverified record-keeping at Davis Mortuary.”
A day later, investigators said they searched the homes of the Pueblo county coroner and his brother – who were listed as joint owners of Davis Mortuary – as investigators continued their probe into the improperly stored remains.
That same week, on Aug. 28, Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter announced he would be resigning amid the criminal investigation “to prioritize the concerns of the public as it relates to his position as Coroner,” according to a letter from his attorney.
In that letter, his attorney claimed Cotter suffered a cardiac event and made the decision to retire.
The CBI has created a contact form for families who have sought services at Davis Mortuary and are seeking information about their loved one. The agency has also set up a dedicated assistance line at 719-257-3359. As of noon Tuesday, CBI has received 843 calls on its assistance line.
Colorado long had minimal oversight of funeral homes, which allowed for numerous abuses. In one case, nearly 200 decomposing bodies were found stored at room temperature at the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Pueblo.
The discovery in Pueblo occurred during the first inspection of Davis Mortuary, conducted under state laws adopted last year to tighten oversight of Colorado's funeral industry. Before the change, funeral homes could only be inspected if a complaint was filed against them. State regulators said Davis Mortuary did not have any prior complaints.
A lawmaker in Pueblo announced earlier this month he planned on introducing legislation to further change Colorado's laws around the industry by making sure coroners can be removed from their elected position in extreme circumstances, and eliminate any financial conflict of interest.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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