Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper: ‘Horrific’ discovery of 115 deceased bodies improperly stored at Penrose funeral home
The discovery of 115 deceased bodies that were improperly stored at Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose now is requiring teams, investigators and specialists from local, state and federal agencies to investigate. Gov. Jared Polis issued a disaster declaration for the Penrose incident Thursday, which will make additional state resources available to Fremont County.
The investigation is likely to take “several months.”
During a press conference Friday, Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper called the discovery “very disturbing” and “horrific.”
Officials declined to go into the details of the condition of the remains or the scene out of respect for the families of the deceased.
Fremont County Coroner Randy Keller said it is a “very tragic situation.”
“Our priority and our focus is on the impacted families,” Cooper said. “My office, and our team of investigators, including crime scene specialists, victim advocates and many others working this case, are committed to finding answers for the families as quickly as possible.”
Cooper’s office is committed to supporting the families throughout the process with a comprehensive investigation along with victims’ advocates, he said.
Keller said a reported odor coming from the funeral home spurred law enforcement’s initial call to the scene.
On Wednesday, the FCSO and the Department of Regulatory Agencies discovered the 115 bodies in the funeral home, located at 31 Werner Drive.
Because of the magnitude of the investigation, Cooper requested assistance from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to utilize their resources.
On Thursday, deputies and the Fremont County Coroner’s Office, along with state and federal officials, worked late into the evening to determine the scope of the scene.
“Without providing too much detail, and to avoid further victimizing these families, the area of the funeral home where the bodies were improperly stored was horrific,” Cooper said. “To give you an idea of the scope of this search, the area to be searched is over 2,500 square feet.”
While Cooper wants to process the scene as quickly as possible, the safety of investigators entering the funeral home is of critical importance, he said.
On Wednesday, a deputy coroner sustained a rash immediately upon initial entry into the facility. She was transported to the hospital, but she is fine, Keller said.
“Hazardous mitigation will be the first priority,” Cooper said. “The FBI will survey and mitigate as needed before (investigators) enter the scene. We are working to determine how long this process will take.”
Once the scene is made safe, and appropriate personal protective equipment is issued, “dignified treatment” of the deceased is the next priority, Cooper said.
Keller said there is no risk to the public or the neighbors of the facility at this time.
He is working to secure trucks and make the process secure from the public with tents or fencing designed for that purpose. Once the remains are removed, they will be transported for identification, then notifications to immediate family members can begin.
Keller said the investigation is in its early stages, but he has been in contact with the Colorado Coroner’s Association to assist and provide additional resources when needed. Arrangements also have been made with the El Paso County Coroner’s Office and the Douglas County Coroner’s Office for their assistance.
“Numerous other agencies, including, but not limited to, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, and the Colorado Emergency Management are either already on site or en route to assist with tour investigation,” Keller said. “…This is going to be a very, very lengthy process.”
Forensic identification through fingerprints, dental records, and possibly DNA will need to be completed.
“As we identify each decedent, family members will be notified as soon as absolutely possible,” Keller said. “I want to assure everyone that the loved ones in this facility will be treated with the utmost care and respect. Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by this tragedy. We will take every measure possible to get families the answers they deserve.”
Mark Michalek, the special agent in charge of the Denver field office for the FBI, said his organization will provide specialized forensic and investigative support for as long as it takes.
The Denver-based evidence response team and the hazardous evidence response team worked through the night Thursday with the FCSO and Coroner’s Office to conduct an initial survey and assess requirements and needs.
“Over the coming days, there will be a series of folks that will be deployed here to provide additional support,” he said. “Additional evidence response teams from other field offices from across the nation will be here, along with specialized teams from our laboratory division in Quantico, Virginia. This will include our technical hazardous response team and our disaster recovery team.”
These teams have additional training and specialized equipment that serve to process scenes of national magnitude, including response to 911 and other major airline incidents, he said.
“Our initial work will be to do an assessment of the scene to determine any bio or chemical hazards and to create a plan to be able to mitigate those to ensure our investigators and crime scene personnel will be safe,” Michalek said. “Following that, we will assist in processing the crime scene, which will involve a variety of specialized equipment and techniques that will include geo-spatial mapping, documenting conditions and collecting evidence in a dignified way.”
From there, the remains will be transported to a secondary location where the Coroner’s Office can control the environment to limit further degradation to assist in the identification process.
To date, no arrests have been made, and officials won’t speculate about any potential arrests or charges at this time.
“We are focusing on our investigation and our victims,” Cooper said. “We are working closely with the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office on all aspects of this investigation, along with our state and federal partners.”
Michalek said the FBI has opened a parallel federal investigation to determine if there is a federal violation of law.
“I think we all have the same questions,” he said. “Who specifically was impacted by this? How many were impacted? Who is responsible and why did it happen? We will all work together to ensure that we get those answers for the community and those affected.”
Cooper said he has been in contact with the owners of the funeral home, and so far they are being cooperative.
Keller also reassured the public and the impacted families that the death investigation would be thorough and complete.
“The decedents and their families will be treated with the utmost care and respect,” he said.
During the briefing Friday, Cooper shared one message specifically to the family members who may be impacted by this discovery.
“This case is my office’s highest priority, and we will do all within our statutory authority in assessing every resource available for the resolution that you deserve,” he said.
The FCSO is asking that family members of decedents who utilized the Return to Nature Funeral Home send an email to 23-1941@fremontso.com and leave the best contact number and time to call. Investigators will respond to each email.
Those who do not use email can contact the Fremont County Emergency Management call line at 719-276-7421. There will be victims’ assistance personnel responding to messages between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Individuals with potential information in reference to the criminal investigation are encouraged to email tips@fremontso.com.