Las Animas Co. Coroner responds to accusations of improper burials after being cleared of criminal violations

LAS ANIMAS COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - Las Animas County Coroner Dominic Verquer sat down with KRDO13 Investigates for the first time since he was accused of abusing corpses due to improper burials.

“I have statutes that cover me,” Verquer said. “That's why we did it. I was fine with that until everything blew up.”

Verquer was at the center of an investigation by the Colorado Bureau of Investigations after an unknown body was found buried underneath another unknown body in a small cemetery outside of Trinidad, Colorado.

One of those bodies was Frederick Huff, a well-known homeless man in Trinidad. Verquer said he bought him food multiple times but never knew his last name, so when he died he was considered a “John Doe.”

When Verquer receives an unknown body, he says he sends a DNA sample to a lab for testing. However, he said results can take up to a year, and with nowhere to store the bodies, they bury John and Jane Does in local cemeteries. Verquer said the funds for these burials come out of his county budget and he doesn’t receive any additional funding from the state.

Huff was one of those unknown bodies buried in the Starkville Cemetery. When his DNA results came back, Verquer said he notified the next of kin. In September, Huff’s daughter from Oklahoma exhumed his body. During the process, they found another unknown body underneath him.

“They were not placed on top of each other, as it was reported,” Verquer said. “They were placed side by side. They were all buried together.”

According to court documents, Verquer buried five unknown bodies in the Starkville Cemetery from 2019 to 2021. One of those was another homeless man, Timothy Radford. When the family found out, they traveled to Trinidad to pay respects to their loved one and conduct a memorial service.

Verquer told KRDO13 Investigates they know where these unknown bodies are buried by logging GPS coordinates. However, the family said Verquer couldn’t remember where he buried Radford.

“I was knee-deep in snow,” Verquer said. “I finally found the grave after a while, but the whole terrain was different. It was covered in snow.”

The cemetery owner, Carl Mestas, said he didn’t know these bodies were buried in his cemetery and Verquer never provided a required burial permit for any of them. Verquer said he received permission from Mestas’s relative, who he thought was the property owner.

“I didn't know that Mr. Mestas was the owner of the land,” Verquer said. “The gentleman told me it was his uncle, so we made arrangements and purchased graves and buried them there. I didn't know Mr. Mestas owned the land until after all of this took place.”

Verquer showed KRDO13 Investigates the burial permits from the state for each of the unknown bodies buried in the Starkville Cemetery. Verquer said Mestas has to file a formal written request to receive the burial permits, which he hasn’t done, according to Verquer.

In December, at the request of the Las Animas County Sheriff's Office, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted an independent investigation into allegations against Verquer.

“It's going to take a toll on you,” Verquer said of the investigation. “I've lost some weight the hard way. I lost sleep. I knew on the onset that I was okay. I just needed it in writing, stating that.”

On May 1, he was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing. According to a statement from 3rd Judicial District Attorney Henry Solano's office, the CBI conducted an "extensive" investigation into the allegations against Verquer and did not identify any criminal law violations. The statement also said that the allegations made to law enforcement, in a public meeting and to the media did not have supporting facts.

Although Verquer was cleared of any criminal violations, KRDO13 Investigates asked Verquer what he had to say to families of the unknown bodies who claimed he was unethical and disrespectful.

“We don't disrespect a dead body,” Verquer said. “We probably give more respect than we do for a live person. We treat them all the same. I had to do what I had to do. Burying them as John Doe, Jane Doe isn't easy. I'm human.”

Tom Murphy, a Trinidad funeral home director, is leading a recall effort against Verquer, despite the findings by the CBI and Solano. He claimed Solano is Verquer’s attorney and there is a conflict of interest. Verquer denied these accusations and said his personal attorney is in Raton, New Mexico.

“Whether you attach legal or moral principles to it, nothing addressed and says what he did was illegal,” Murphy said of the investigation. “What he did was wrong, it was unethical.”

Verquer said he isn’t worried about the recall effort as he still has a lot of support in the community.

“It's a moot point,” Verquer said. “Mr. Murphy doesn't abide by many laws, obviously by filing false statements as proven in the (investigation).”

The full interview with Las Animas County Coroner Dominic Verquer can be watched below.