Authorities find more bodies after initial report of 115 two weeks ago, when owners were evicted and police investigated foul odor

The remains of at least 189 decaying bodies were found and removed from a Colorado funeral home, up from about 115 reported when the bodies were discovered two weeks ago, officials said Tuesday.

The remains were found by authorities responding to a report of a foul odor at the Return to Nature funeral home inside a decrepit building in the small town of Penrose, Colorado.

Efforts to identify the remains began last week with help from an FBI team that gets deployed to mass casualty events like airline crashes. Fremont sheriff Allen Cooper described the scene as “horrific”.

  • RaincoatsGeorge
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    8 months ago

    What constitutes a natural burial? At a cursory glance there are only about 5 states that don’t permit home burials and many of those just say it has to be in a cemetery, but you can apply for a family cemetery on your property and it’s completely legal.

    In Virginia and West Virginia at least there are no requirements whatsoever that you use a casket or bury them to any specific depth. I’d suspect that if you were disrespecting grandma and threw her in the garbage you would be breaking desecration of remains laws but doing a legitimate burial at home is completely fine.

    I can only speak to the laws of my state and those around me, and I suppose local municipalities might have differing laws, but it’s pretty open ended. You do not need a funeral home involved at all and frankly given how expensive these things are I totally support families that go that route.

    • rckclmbr@lemm.ee
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      8 months ago

      I wish I could have a sky burial but I’m pretty sure theres nowhere in the US that could happen. And it would freak my wife out. I think the best option is aquamation (or hopefully recomposting since it was just legalized in california), since I can’t have a sky burial

      • RaincoatsGeorge
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        8 months ago

        I’ve said the same thing for years. One day my wishes will be honored!

      • pg_sax_i_frage@lemmy.wtf
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        8 months ago

        Well, you coild probably arrange for the soil/compost, resulting from that teconposting, to be used to grow some grain (or other native plants that might appeal to the local wildlife) , and then those could be fed to some birds 🐦 🐦 🐦, perhaps on a mountaintop 🌄, even. (i remember a story told at, I think this wasduring kne session at the ‘body composting conference’, about some peo friend and family who were left soil depositing some of it some quite remote places.) You could make a wole ceremony out of it, if that was desired.

        It’s a few extra steps, but maybe somewhat of a similar result, in a certain sense. And then the extra steps could give extra time for the grieving orocess, and link with the whole cycles of life thing, you know.

        Anyway, that’s just an idea. Hope you, and everyone, can find one that works for you, and find a way to have itgise wishes fulfilled later on. The option thts offered by recompose is cool, more options can certainly be good.