'Horrific': Over 115 decaying bodies discovered at 'green' funeral home prompts investigation

Over 115 decomposing/decaying bodies were found in a “green” Colorado funeral home this week, prompting an investigation that could potentially take months to complete.

“This is going to be a very, very lengthy process. With the number of decedents we have in this facility and the identification process that needs to be completed, this could take several months,” Fremont County coroner Randy Keller said at a news conference Friday, as reported by CNN.

At this point, it’s not even clear whether a crime was committed, according to FBI Public Affairs Specialist Vikki Migoya.

What’s known is that earlier this week, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an “odor” coming from the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose. After the authorities obtained a warrant, they entered the facility and found the bodies improperly strewn about.

The scene was so “horrific” that the FCSO then requested help from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to Colorado Springs station KRDO.

“Without providing too much detail to avoid further victimizing these families, the funeral home where the bodies were improperly stored was horrific,” Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper said during Friday’s presser.

Police said Friday they found at least 115 bodies at the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colorado.

The mortuary, which provides “green” burials without embalming chemicals or metal caskets, is under investigation for handling remains improperly. pic.twitter.com/Bs4IbGVjVu

— The Associated Press (@AP) October 6, 2023

Hazmat teams reportedly have to be involved as well.

“During the initial entry of the building, Keller confirmed a deputy coroner sustained a rash of some type from ‘something’ in the building. She received medical care and is fine now, but Keller said this is why hazmat has to be in the building and determine the next steps before the investigation can move forward,” KRDO notes.

Speaking at Friday’s presser, FBI special agent Mark Michalek further revealed that the bureau’s Technical Hazardous Response Team and the Disaster Recovery Team will both be deployed to the scene.

“These are teams with additional training and specialized equipment that serve to process scenes of national magnitude, to include the response to 9/11 and major airline incidents. Our initial work will be to do an assessment of the scene to determine any bio or chemical hazards and create a plan to be able to mitigate those,” he said.

As noted earlier, there have at the moment been no arrests — nor are there even any suspects.

“Sheriff Cooper said investigators aren’t speculating on arrest or charges at this time, but his office is working closely with the 11th Judicial DA’s Office and the US Attorney’s Office on all aspects of this investigation along with state and federal partners. The FBI has opened a parallel federal investigation to determine if there was a federal violation made,” according to KRDO.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, has also involved himself in the matter by declaring a disaster so that more resources can be allocated to the funeral home.

“The Governor issued a verbal disaster declaration last evening. The emergency declaration provides resources from the state to support the investigation and the clean-up of the facility. The declaration is a requirement in the process to begin supporting our local jurisdictions. The State EOC is directly supporting these resource requests along with our CBI, DORA and DHSEM. Additional agencies may be added as needs change during the incident,” the declaration reads.

Fremont County Sheriff’s Office confirmed 115 bodies were improperly stored in the Penrose funeral home. Here is my coverage from yesterday where neighbors say they have been smelling the odor in the air for weeks: pic.twitter.com/nUQyaHf4UQ

— Rhea Jha (@Rhea_Jha_) October 6, 2023

The authorities have also “established a family crisis center and a phone line for concerned family members to call and provide information about loved ones who might be involved in this ‘tragic situation,'” KRDO notes.

Meanwhile, the public is demanding some answers, as well as clear-cut consequences for whoever is responsible for this “horrific” mess.

Case in point:

I hope they’re also under investigation for ripping off clients who *paid* them to bury their relatives in the ways they promised they would.

— Emm Martin (@emmartin173) October 7, 2023

Lots of questions, but main questions are why weren’t the bodies buried & why haven’t families had the funerals? Not embalmed means funeral & burial has gotta be quick.

— Robin_PD_ (@Robin_PD_) October 7, 2023

The “crime” that the authorities can’t seem to grasp is that someone paid this mortuary to bury/cremate these bodies & they were not; the people who paid for a service that was not provided were ripped off.

— Emm Martin (@emmartin173) October 6, 2023

How lazy are these people? I mean, seriously now, all they had to do was dig a hole and maybe put the body in a sack and bury it. Natural burials are simple and easy. Are there some regulations that prevented them from doing this? Or are they just lazy?

— Mr. Chatterbox (@entropyfueled) October 6, 2023

As for the Return to Nature Funeral Home, CNN notes it’s a “green” facility that offers “green” burials without embalming fluid in a biodegradable casket or “nothing at all.”

Author
Recent Posts

Vivek Saxena

Senior Staff Writer -- [email protected]
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.

V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.

Comment

Latest Articles