Three more bodies identified in Davis Mortuary investigation; total now reaches nine
PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has released an update in the ongoing Davis Mortuary investigation, confirming that the number of identified bodies by the Pueblo County Coroner has climbed from six to nine.
According to CBI, the last three identifications were made by using Rapid DNA technology, and the remaining 15 bodies are undergoing Forensic Genetic Genealogy, which uses public DNA databases to find distant relatives and build family trees.
CBI says this option has been chosen due to poor record-keeping by Davis Mortuary and the condition of the remains.
CBI officials say they are also still investigating the multiple containers of bones, cremains, and possible human tissue found, which represent an unknown number of individuals.
Brian Cotter, now-former Pueblo County Coroner, is accused of hiding bodies in a secret room of his privately-owned funeral home, Davis Mortuary.
He has since resigned as coroner, and an interim coroner has taken his place.
According to records by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), Brian Cotter's funeral home was due for an inspection in August. When inspectors arrived, they noted "a strong odor of decomposition."
Later, inspectors said they noticed a door was hidden by a cardboard display. When they went to remove the display, inspectors say Cotter asked them not to go inside, according to DORA's records.
Inspectors did not follow Cotter's request; when they entered, they said they found bodies in various stages of decomposition, DORA records allege.
The CBI says a total of 24 bodies from Davis Mortuary, along with multiple containers of bones and multiple containers of probable human tissue, were transferred to the El Paso County Coroner's Office for attempted identification.
To read all of our reports on this case, click here.
CBI says as of Dec. 16, they have received 1,542 phone or email tips and 711 responses to the Google form asking for family information from individuals who believe their loved one may be a victim.
Families can reach the victim assistance line/tip line at (719)257-3359. Families can also email the CBI at CBITIPS@state.co.us.
In light of today, KRDO13 Investigates reached out to the local district attorney to inquire about any potential criminal charges. We asked DA Kala Beauvais:
At this stage in the investigation, why is the DA's office not seeking to press charges now that 9 families of victims have been identified? Is it not possible to add on more victims once they are identified?
She replied,
"Most notably, the case has not been turned over to the DA’s Office for prosecution as it is still actively being investigated by the CBI. As noted in the previous press conferences, legal timeframes and deadlines are implicated once charges are filed. Prematurely filing charges before the investigation is complete could be detrimental to the case and to justice for the victims and their families.”
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