Authorities in Fremont County, Colorado, found at least 115 bodies at a “green” funeral home that they’re investigating for improper burial, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release and during a press conference covered by the Associated Press—though they have not yet determined if a crime has been committed.
Fremont County, Colo. Sheriff Allen Cooper speaks during a news conference, Friday in Canon City, ... [+]
Residents reportedly smelled a foul stench near a building owned by Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colorado, which sparked the investigation.
The funeral home had been performing “green” burials without embalming chemicals or metal caskets, according to its website.
When officials searched the 2,500-square-foot building, police said they found improperly stored remains, but declined to describe what it was like inside the facility.
FBI spokeswoman Vikki Migoya told the AP that a state- and federal-level investigation has been launched to see if a crime has been committed.
Colorado state law allows for green burials but state code requires funeral homes to properly refrigerate any body not buried within 24 hours.
Authorities at the press conference reportedly said they don’t believe there is presently a health risk to the public.
The funeral home did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes.
Penrose, located south of Colorado Springs, has a population of about 3,000 people. Return To Nature Funeral Home described green funerals as “a return to the traditional way of burial” on its website. It says it will bury clients’ deceased loved ones with “No chemicals, metal or unnatural materials. Just you and the Earth, returning to nature.” It also offers burials “in a biodegradable casket, basket, shroud, or even nothing at all” with “No embalming fluid, no concrete vaults.” They tout this as being “As natural as possible.”
“We just assumed it was a dead animal,” one neighbor, Joyce Pavetti, told the AP.
Police find at least 115 bodies at Colorado ‘green’ funeral home under investigation (The Associated Press)