PUEBLO, Colo. — Investigators have searched the homes of the Pueblo county coroner and his brother as the criminal investigation in a Pueblo mortuary that stashed decomposing remains behind a hidden door continue.
Officials from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said Tuesday agents from the agency executed search warrants at the homes of Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter and his brother, Chris Cotter, who are listed as joint owners of Davis Mortuary.
The mortuary was issued a summary suspension of its license to operate by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) on Aug. 20, 2025, after inspectors found several bodies in various stages of decomposition in a room hidden behind a cardboard display.
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, a CBI spokesperson said in a news release.
Investigators have not questioned the Cotter brothers as both have retained legal counsel and no arrests have been made since they are not considered a flight risk, the CBI spokesperson said.
During the inspection on Aug. 20, Brian told inspectors that some of the bodies had been awaiting cremation for about 15 years, according to documents obtained by the Associated Press. Brian also told them he may have given fake ashes to families who wanted their loved ones cremated.
Denver7 reported Monday 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.”
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.
Polis, along with Pueblo city and county leaders, has called for Brian Cotter's resignation. He has not stepped down as of Monday.
The governor does not have the authority to remove Cotter, an elected official, from office. If Cotter does not resign, voters could petition for a recall election to remove him.
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.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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