Two years after the discovery of almost 200 decomposing bodies inside Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, state inspectors found 24 more neglected corpses hidden inside Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter's business, Davis Mortuary.

Some of those bodies, investigators said, had been hidden for 15 years , and next-of-kin were allegedly given fake ashes, making it the second high-profile Colorado case involving funeral fraud and stashed bodies in two years.

The shocking discovery once again raised questions of public trust in an industry that has only recently come under more stringent state control. Prior to 2024 legislation, Colorado's Wild West approach to the funeral business made it the only state in the nation without professional training or licensing requirements for

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