At least 189 decomposing bodies removed from funeral home in U.S. Colorado

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- At least 189 decomposing bodies have been removed from a funeral home in the western U.S. state of Colorado, up from the initial 115 reported earlier this month, according to authorities.

The "improperly stored" bodies were discovered on Oct. 4 in the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, a town in Fremont County, after police took a closer look at the "green" funeral operator's storage facility.

"On October 13, 2023, all decedents were removed from the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose. The effort was coordinated by the Fremont County Coroner's Office with support from several entities," said the Colorado Bureau of Investigation in a press release on Tuesday.

The agency noted that at least 189 individuals were removed and transported to the El Paso County Coroner's Office but "the total number of decedents could change as the identification and investigative processes continue."

Officials said the second phase of the comprehensive process includes confirming identification and completing family notifications.

"While the investigation for this incident continues, we also remain focused on the impacted families," said Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper in the release. "We want to do all we can to provide the families the support they need as we shift to the next phase in this process."

Cooper told media after the bodies were first discovered earlier this month that "the area of the funeral home where the bodies were improperly stored was horrific."

A disaster emergency has been declared in the county, which will make more resources available.

Return to Nature Funeral Home described itself on its website as a family-owned and operated mortuary service, and "has operated with three generations of funeral service experience and education."

The funeral home explained that "Green/Natural Burial is a return to the traditional way of burial. No chemicals, metal or unnatural materials."

Colorado Public Radio, a public radio state network, pointed out that "Under Colorado law, green burials are legal, but state code requires that any body not buried within 24 hours must be properly refrigerated."

The news outlet added that "Colorado has some of the weakest rules for funeral homes in the nation with no routine inspections or qualification requirements for funeral home operators."