Authorities in a small Colorado town of 3,500 people, have recovered nearly 200 decaying bodies from a funeral home.
Officers found the remains of 189 people at the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Pensore, Colorado.
The discovery was made after an investigation began two weeks ago due to an awful smell being reported inside the building.
Officers arrived on the scene on October 4 and the officers claim the number of bodies is expected to rise further as the investigation continues.
Families of the deceased, whose bodies had been in the care of the funeral home, are anxiously waiting to learn about what happened to their loved ones. More than 120 families have reached out to police regarding the issue.
Authorities stated that fingerprint testing, DNA testing, and accessing medical/dental records to identify the deceased may take up to a few weeks.
“While the investigation for this incident continues, we also remain focused on the impacted families,” Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper said. “We want to do all we can to provide the families the support they need as we shift to the next phase in this process.”
Jon Hallford, owner of the funeral home, told authorities that he practiced taxidermy at the home. When he was contacted about the bodies, he allegedly admitted there was a “problem” there.
Authorities say a potential criminal investigation is ongoing, according to the reports.
