UPDATE: THURSDAY 8/21/2025 5:02 p.m.
(PUEBLO, Colo.) — At a press conference on Thursday, Aug. 21, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), along with multiple other agencies, provided more information on the investigation into Davis Mortuary, where improperly stored bodies were allegedly discovered on Wednesday, Aug. 20, during a state inspection.
According to Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero, Davis Mortuary is operated by the Pueblo County Coroner, Brian Cotter, and his brother, whose name was not provided. Lucero said both were present during the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies’ (DORA) inspection on Wednesday and made statements to investigators that they believed there to be around 20 bodies inside a room at the mortuary, and that some had been awaiting cremation for upward of 15 years.
As of the press conference, investigators had not yet made entry into the room, so an exact count had not been completed.
Sam Delp, a spokesperson with DORA, explained that Davis Mortuary’s crematory license expired in 2024, though statements made by Cotter and his brother on Wednesday indicated that no cremations had been performed at the facility in approximately 10 years. Delp clarified that the business’s mortuary license and crematory licenses are separate–the mortuary license has been active up until it was suspended following the inspection on Wednesday.
The inspection was the first of its kind at the mortuary, after legislation passed in 2024 began mandating yearly inspections. According to Delp, prior to that legislation, Colorado mortuaries were only inspected following complaints, and as Davis Mortuary had never received any complaints, it had never been inspected before.
Delp said the room in which the bodies were found was not climate-controlled, though there did appear to be a refrigeration unit in the room. Delp said the contents of that unit, or whether it was functional, are currently unclear.
Sheriff Lucero confirmed that as of Thursday afternoon, no charges had been filed, nor have any arrests been made. The CBI affirmed that Brian Cotter remains in his elected position as Pueblo County Coroner, and his whereabouts are known.
Armando Saldate II, the Director of the CBI, said investigators are working with numerous other agencies for coroner services to process the scene, many of whom responded to a similar investigation at the Return to Nature Funeral Home in 2023.
For anyone who believes they may be impacted by this investigation, the CBI provided a phone number and email for those potential victims to speak to victim advocates who will help them navigate the next steps. The phone number is (719) 257-3359, and the email is CBItips@state.co.us.
The full press conference can be viewed in the video player below.
ORIGINAL STORY: “Several bodies in various stages of decomposition,” CBI launches criminal investigation into Davis Mortuary
THURSDAY 8/21/2025 12:29 p.m.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is holding a press conference to inform the public about a criminal investigation into the Davis Mortuary in Pueblo.
According to the CBI, the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies’ (DORA) Division of Professions and Occupations recently found “several bodies in various stages of decomposition” inside Davis Mortuary, located at 128 Broadway Avenue, after an annual inspection.
“As a result of that inspection, Davis Mortuary has been issued a summary suspension,” according to the CBI.
Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter, who is the appointed designee for the funeral home, told inspectors “…that some of the bodies had been awaiting cremation for approximately 15 years. He also admitted that he may have given next-of-kin fake cremains,” according to the press release.
The CBI has taken over the criminal investigation at the request of the Pueblo Police Department (PPD), due to its experience with the Return to Nature Funeral Home case.
The press conference will be held at the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21, and FOX21 News will live stream the update once it begins in the video player above.
About The Author
