The Pueblo County coroner under investigation after human remains were found at his private mortuary business has submitted his resignation. Brian Cotter sent a memo to the Pueblo County commissioners saying he will resign effective Sept. 2.
Twenty-four bodies, multiple containers of bones and several other containers of what investigators believe to be human tissue have been recovered from inside a Pueblo funeral home that is co-owned by Cotter and his brother, Chris. Neither faces criminal charges, with authorities saying they need more time to investigate.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation said identification of all the remains could take several months. The human tissue represents an “unknown number of deceased individuals,” officials said. Agents also searched the Cotters’ homes, but have not questioned either of them, as both have retained legal counsel, CBI said earlier this week.
In a statement Thursday night, the county said commissioners “will be working diligently on the next steps in the process to fill the vacancy as outlined by law. We want to assure the community that county services will continue without interruption during this transition. We are committed to transparency and will provide regular updates as this process moves forward.”
Brian Cotter was first voted county coroner in 2014, and his current term was expected to end in 2027, according to the Pueblo County Coroner’s office. The El Paso and Fremont county coroners have taken over day-to-day operations at the Pueblo County Coroner’s office, Sheriff David Lucero said last week.
Lucero and Gov. Jared Polis had called for Cotter’s immediate resignation last week after state inspectors found the bodies.