CBI announces 18 bodies identified in Pueblo Davis Mortuary investigation

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 and Fremont County coroners has climbed to 18.

According to CBI, the most recent nine identifications were made by using Forensic Genetic Genealogy (FGG)—a process that involves asking a private lab to use public DNA databases, such as GEDmatch, to find distant relatives and build family trees. 

The Pueblo and Fremont County Coroners are still working to identify the remaining six bodies, confirms the CBI.

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.

Families can reach the victim assistance line/tip line at (719)257-3359. Families can also email the CBI at CBITIPS@state.co.us.

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