Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Friday called for a county coroner to resign after state inspectors found at least 20 decomposing bodies behind a hidden door in a funeral home he owns.

Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter told inspectors from the state Department of Regulatory Agencies that some of the bodies had been awaiting cremation for about 15 years, according to a document from state regulators. Cotter also told them he may have given fake ashes to families who wanted their loved ones cremated.

Inspectors found a “strong odor of decomposition” during a Wednesday inspection of Davis Mortuary in Pueblo, about 110 miles (177 kilometers) south of Denver, and discovered the bodies in a room hidden behind a cardboard display. Cotter asked the inspectors not to enter the room, according to th

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