Investigators say six people have now been identified among the two dozen bodies that were improperly stored at the Davis Mortuary in Pueblo, co-owned by former county coroner Brian Cotter.
In early September, officials announced they'd identified four of the victims.
Clint Thomason, assistant director at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, said all six bodies date back to around 2010-2012.
“It appears that most of these bodies are going to be from the 2010 to 2012 era, so if you specifically believe that your loved one is in that area, then we would ask for you to go ahead and make sure you complete that form to assist in the identification process,” Thomason said, referring to a Google form from CBI for people to contact the agency.
The CBI has used fingerprints, DNA and dental records to identify bodies.
During a routine inspection, state officials found human remains in varying levels of decomposition in a tucked-away room of Davis Mortuary. The mortuary is owned by brothers Chris and Brian Cotter.
Brian Cotter was the county coroner at the time of the inspection. He has since resigned.
Neither brother is currently facing any criminal charges. The 10th Judicial District Attorney, Kala Beauvais, said investigators will complete their work before filing charges, which she said could take months.
“I know the community is outraged and feels betrayed, and despite wanting swift justice, the legal process is slow,” Beauvais said. “Because my office is dedicated to true justice, I am determined to get this case right.”
She said if the investigation is not complete before they press charges, it could jeopardize a verdict.
“Which can in turn result in severe sanctions against the case up to and including suppression of pertinent evidence and even dismissal of charges,” Beauvais said.
Officials said they plan to file any charges at once, instead of piece by piece as the investigation goes on. They also repeatedly asked for patience from the community and from the families of loved ones whose remains were handled at Davis Mortuary.
Thomason said the process has been both time and labor-intensive due to the age of the remains and the paper-based record-keeping that Davis Mortuary used.
“Please be patient with us. I have basically my entire office working on this, and we will try to get it done as quickly as we can,” Thomason said.
Officials said the Cotter brothers have obtained legal counsel and have not answered questions from investigators. They added, though, that they have been in weekly contact with the brothers' lawyer.
“Every person has a constitutional right to remain silent, so they don't have to speak. That is their decision. That is their right, and so we have to abide by that,” Beauvais said.
Officials said they don't suspect the brothers are a flight risk.
