Pueblo County Coroner Brian Cotter has been removed from his position as secretary of the Colorado Coroners Association (CCA) Board of Directors due to the "unethical practices" of his private funeral home.
The move comes after Cotter's private funeral home, Davis Mortuary, was suspended by the state following an inspection that allegedly revealed the business had been improperly keeping about 20 decomposing bodies in a concealed room.
Cotter allegedly admitted during an Aug. 20 inspection that some of those bodies had been in the secret room for up to 15 years, and said some decedents' families may have been given fake cremains, according to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is leading a criminal probe into the mortuary, which is in its early stages and has not yet resulted in any arrests or charges.
Cotter, a three-term Republican county coroner, was first sworn into office in 2015, meaning some of the improperly stored bodies were already in the mortuary prior to his first election in 2014.
Cotter was removed from the CCA board in a unanimous vote, "due to unethical practices and harm to the community in which he was sworn to serve," according to an Aug. 23 release. Cotter's photograph and information remained on the CCA website as of Aug. 24, but the release noted the CCA had requested its removal.
The CCA also joined calls by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and assembled leadership of Pueblo County and city governments for Cotter to resign.
"In violation of the ethical standards aforementioned and in solidarity with those affected by Davis Funeral Home's egregious act, the Colorado Coroners Association Executive Board of Directors calls on Mr. Brian Cotter to resign his position as Pueblo County Coroner-elect," CCA officials wrote in the release.
Why Cotter can't be removed from office
The CCA emphasized that, as an educational association, the organization does not have oversight of elected or appointed officials in the state of Colorado.
"Brian Cotter, co-owner of Davis Funeral Home and Pueblo County Coroner, is an elected official who has sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Colorado, and the highest ethical standards of a peace officer," CCA officials wrote. "All coroners in the State of Colorado, whether elected or appointed, are held to the same standard of ethics, including the operation of a private business."
As of Aug. 24, Cotter has not resigned his position. During an Aug. 22 press conference, Pueblo County Sheriff David Lucero stated neither county officials nor even Polis have the power to remove him from office.
While the criminal investigation continues to unfold, both the Fremont County and El Paso County coroner's offices have been deputized to perform the regular duties and assume the day-to-day operations of the Pueblo County Coroner's Office.
If Cotter resigns, the Pueblo Board of County Commissioners will appoint his temporary replacement, according to Colorado Revised Statutes. That replacement would serve in the office until the vacancy is filled in the next general election.
More: 'We're all suffering': Families express grief, anger at mistreatment of loved ones' remains
Chieftain Reporter Justin Reutter can be reached at [email protected] or on X, at @jayreutter1. Support local news; subscribe to the Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo Coroner Cotter dropped from Colorado Coroners Association board
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