Authorities in Penrose, Colorado, responded to a complaint about a foul smell coming from a property and found at least 115 decaying bodies at a funeral home that promised to provide environmentally friendly burials. Authorities characterized the situation at the "Green Burial" residence as "horrifying."
According to The New York Times, Randy Keller, the Fremont County coroner, said it could take months to determine the identities of the dead through fingerprints, dental records, or DNA.
State and federal agencies, including the FBI, are helping, and Governor Jared Polis of Colorado on Thursday issued a verbal disaster declaration for Fremont County to provide additional resources in the investigation into the remains found at the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, about 105 miles south of Denver.
The funeral home provides natural burials, which do not use embalming chemicals or biodegradable caskets. The owner, Jon Hallford, allegedly tried to hide the fact that the bodies were not being stored properly, according to a state document.
State regulators revoked the funeral home's license, which was originally issued in 2017. In a letter from officials, it was stated that the owner, Mr Hallford, had "attempted to conceal the improper storage of human remains" on the premises.
Allen Cooper, the Fremont County sheriff, said the owner is cooperating in the investigation and no one has been arrested or charged.
Inside, "we found over 115 decedents who were improperly stored" in a "hazardous scene," Mr. Keller told NYT.
"I want to assure everyone that the loved ones in this facility will be treated with the utmost care and respect," Mr. Keller said at a news conference on Friday, adding that officials had set up a "family crisis center" and a phone number for families to call as investigators began to remove and identify the bodies.
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