US EditionPueblo County Coroner to Resign After Decomposing Bodies Found at Mortuary
Brian Cotter resigned after an investigation found 24 bodies improperly stored in a secret room at Davis Mortuary, prompting a costly recall effort by local officials.
- On Thursday, Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter submitted a resignation letter dated the same day, effective September 2, 2025, posted by KOAA.
- An annual inspection uncovered a concealed room at Davis Mortuary containing 24 bodies, prompting the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies to suspend its license on Aug. 20.
- The Colorado Bureau of Investigation says it is probing Chris Cotter and his brother, executed Aug. 26 search warrants, and transferred remains to El Paso County Coroner's Office for identification.
- The Pueblo Board of County Commissioners will appoint a temporary replacement until the next general election, county officials say services will continue without interruption, and the Pueblo County Clerk and Recorder's Office received a recall petition notice Tuesday.
- The Cotter probe fits into a wider pattern after Davis Mortuary became the latest in a string of funeral fraud cases in Colorado, including the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose where investigators found 189 decomposing bodies.
11 Articles
11 Articles
The Daily Gazette
The Daily ItemCoroner in Colorado's Pueblo County resigns after discovery of hidden bodies at his mortuary
DENVER — Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter submitted a letter of resignation through his attorney on Thursday, not long after the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said it had removed the remains of two dozen bodies from the Davis Mortuary, which…
Pueblo County Coroner resigns after discovery of hidden bodies at his mortuary
Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter submitted a letter of resignation through his attorney on Thursday, not long after the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said it had removed the remains of two dozen bodies from the Davis Mortuary, which Cotter and his brother Chris Cotter operated. “Mr. Cotter was hospitalized for a cardiac event following the events of August 20, 2025. Following his discharge, he’s acted swiftly to prioritize the concerns of t…
Denver Post
Reporter HeraldPueblo County coroner resigns after discovery of hidden bodies at his mortuary
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation removed two dozen bodies from Davis Mortuary in Pueblo, leading to the resignation Thursday of County Corner Brian Cotter, who operated the facility.
Pueblo County coroner resigns, suffered cardiac event after bodies found
Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter has submitted a resignation letter with an effective date of Tuesday, according to the letter dated on Thursday posted by Gazette news partner KOAA.
Pueblo County Coroner resigns amid investigation
PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KXRM) — Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter has resigned just over a week after the discovery of at least 24 bodies stored improperly at the mortuary he co-owned, Davis Mortuary. In a letter released by the Pueblo County Board of County Commissioners, Cotter's legal counsel explained that Cotter was "hospitalized for a cardiac event" following the discovery during the Department of Regulatory Agencies' inspection on Aug. 20.…
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