Davis Mortuary, Brian Cotter ‘permanently relinquish’ funeral license

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) announces that Davis Mortuary has permanently relinquished its funeral license.

On Oct.17, Davis Mortuary and Davis Crematory, through Brian Cotter, permanently relinquished their registrations to operate as a funeral home establishment and crematory in Colorado, says DORA.

As part of the relinquishment, Cotter agreed not to apply for registration or licensure of any kind with the Colorado Office of Funeral and Mortuary Science Services at any time in the future, according to DORA.

Cotter is at the center of a Pueblo County controversy and investigation. He was the Pueblo County coroner, but also owned his own funeral home business.

Back in August, inspectors alleged that they noted a smell of decomposition in his funeral home, Davis Mortuary. They claimed that there was a door hidden behind a display, and when they removed it, they allegedly found remains in various states of decomposition.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigations (CBI) said that there were 24 bodies found, and it's believed that they were all brought to the funeral home between 2010 and 2012. As of the last update from the CBI in early October, six of the bodies have been identified.

As of this publication, no criminal charges have been filed against Brian Cotter, or funeral home co-owner Chris Cotter. However, Brian Cotter did step down from his position as county coroner.

The CBI says that they want to identify all of the bodies before the district attorney's office evaluates potential charges.

"As we've indicated from the very beginning, this is a slow and tedious process," said District Attorney Kala Beauvais on Oct. 1. "I am determined to get this case right. The filing of charges will be done right the first time."

To read all of our updates on the Davis Mortuary case, click here.

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