Shock as over 20 ‘mummified’ bodies discovered hidden inside funeral home
An investigation is underway at a funeral home in the US after the remains of 24 'mummified' bodies were discovered.
On 20 August, authorities in Pueblo, Colorado, revealed they had discovered decomposing bodies, bones and human tissue at Davis Mortuary, a funeral home run by state Coroner Brian Cotter and his brother Chris Cotter.
The horrifying remains were uncovered after a formal inspection at the site, following a 2024 law increasing regulations on funeral homes operating in the state.
"We have received credible information that Davis Mortuary has been improperly storing human remains for years," Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director Armando Saldate III said in a statement last week (via Fox).
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"This is a profound violation of trust and a heartbreaking betrayal of the families who had trusted their loved ones to this funeral home.
"Our top priorities are to respectfully and humanely process the scene, identify all the deceased and notify their families and loved ones."
The mortuary remains closed while an investigation is underway.
It's understood the remains were uncovered in a concealed room hidden behind a display, with an update from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation revealing that a total of 24 bodies had been recovered alongside 'multiple containers' of human bones and probable human tissue believed to be from an 'unknown number of deceased individuals'.
All of the remains have been transferred for identification at El Paso County Coroner's Office.
The 26 August update also confirmed that no formal arrests have been made and that neither brother has been questioned.
According to reports, the remains found in the room date back as far as at least 15 years, with a report from MailOnline suggesting the brothers had stored the bodies of deceased people scheduled for cremation but with families who would not be picking up their ashes afterwards.
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However, the CBI has not formally released a possible theory as to why the remains were stored instead of being cremated.
The crematory license for the funeral home had expired in November 2024; however, officials understand that cremations hadn't taken place at the location within the past decade.
Meanwhile, as of August 26, the CBI had received information from 336 people enquiring about whether their loved ones were among the unidentified remains.
One such person was Annie Rahl, who told MailOnline that her uncle's body had been sent to the mortuary just days before the investigation.
"I'm lost, confused, furious, every emotion anyone could feel right now," she told the outlet.
Brenna Cooper