Police find 115 bodies in a ‘green’ Colorado funeral home. What happened?
Police said Friday that they found at least 115 bodies at a "green" funeral home in Colorado.
During a press conference on Oct. 6 at Fremont County Sheriff's Office in Canon City, Colorado, Sheriff Allen Cooper said his office made a "disturbing discovery" after investigators found at least 115 deceased bodies that were improperly stored at a building owned by the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colorado.
What is a green burial?
TODAY.com reached out to Return to Nature Funeral Home but did not receive a response. Its website describes a "green" burial as a “traditional way of burial.”
“No chemicals, metal or unnatural materials. Just you and the Earth, returning to nature. Interment of the bodies is done in a biodegradable casket, basket, shroud, or even nothing at all. No embalming fluid, no concrete vaults. As natural as possible,” the website reads.
What happened in Colorado?
Randy Keller, the Fremont County coroner, said in the press conference that the sheriff's office contacted his team about an odor coming from the funeral home. Investigators from the sheriff’s office and the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agency obtained a search warrant and entered the property on Oct. 4, where they made the discovery.
Cooper said the “funeral home where the bodies were improperly stored was horrific,” and added that the area to be searched is over 2,500 square feet.
Keller said one of his deputy coroners obtained a rash from the facility after entering it during the initial search. Hazmat mitigation is now the first priority before proceeding with next steps in safely removing and identifying the bodies.
It is not clear if a crime has been committed, the sheriff's office said, adding that it has been in touch with the owners of the facility and they are so far being cooperative.
Mark Michalek a special agent in charge of the FBI Denver’s field office, said in the press conference that the FBI is offering specialized forensic and investigative support.
The Associated Press reported Friday that the facility's owner let the location's registration expire in November 2022.
Where is Penrose, Colorado?
Penrose is approximately 100 miles south of Denver, Colorado.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
