Two Colorado brothers, including a former county coroner, were arrested Thursday and face numerous charges for allegedly mishandling the remains of at least two dozen people. Police arrested Brian Lee Cotter, 65, a former Pueblo County Coroner, and his brother, Christopher Aaron Cotter, 60, in Pueblo.
Each brother faces 125 counts of abuse of a corpse, according to a Colorado Bureau of Investigation statement. They were jailed on $1 million bond. Brian Cotter's attorneys stated he has been cooperative with the investigation and will continue to be throughout the judicial process.
Investigators discovered a "strong odor of decomposition" last summer behind a hidden door at the Davis Mortuary in Pueblo, a business owned by the brothers. Inspectors found remains stored in conditions that allegedly "grossly violated professional and ethical standards."
Investigators have identified 19 of the 24 bodies recovered, along with the remains of two individuals whose tissue was found in containers at the mortuary. Containers labeled as cremains were found in disarray, many lacking proper identification and containing "human skeletal material."
Brian Cotter allegedly told inspectors last year that he may have provided fake ashes to families seeking cremations. He resigned as coroner in September. He was set to appear in state court for the first time Friday afternoon in Pueblo.
"The evidence uncovered during this investigation reveals a complete disregard for the dignity of the deceased and the trust placed in Davis Mortuary by families in our community," CBI Director Armando Saldate said in a statement. "We are committed to ensuring that those responsible for these actions are held accountable."
The discovery at Davis Mortuary occurred during its first inspection under rules adopted in 2024. These regulations were implemented in response to previous incidents within Colorado's funeral industry, which had long been subject to some of the nation's weakest oversight. The state previously did not require routine inspections or set qualifications for funeral home operators, leading to numerous abuses, including the discovery of nearly 200 decomposing bodies at room temperature in Penrose, Colorado.