Colorado Coroner to Resign After Inspectors Find 20 Decomposing Bodies Hidden Behind Funeral Home Door By Bailey Richards

After officials found the decomposing bodies of around 20 people hidden in a Colorado funeral home, the coroner has decided to resign.

Earlier this month, authorities uncovered the remains at Davis Mortuary in Pueblo, Colo., during the funeral home’s first-ever inspection — despite co-owner Brian Cotter’s apparent efforts to thwart them.

Following the findings of the Aug. 20 inspection, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) revoked Cotter’s business license, according to CBS News. Cotter, who co-owns the mortuary with his brother, was then “hospitalized for a cardiac event,” he said in a statement released via his attorney.

The coroner, who has since been discharged from the hospital, will submit his official resignation soon, according to the statement. It will be effective Tuesday, Sept. 2, and Cotter “will provide his own written statement with his signature when he is able, as soon as possible.”

In the same statement, Cotter’s attorney said the owner “acted swiftly to prioritize the concerns of the public as it relates to his position as Coroner,” according to CBS News.

Cotter’s attorney did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. Previous attempts to contact the Davis Mortuary, Colorado Bureau of Investigation and Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies for further comment went unanswered.

News of the disgraced coroner’s plans to resign comes after Colo. Gov. Jared Polis called for his resignation in an official statement issued by his office on Friday, Aug. 22.

“I’m sickened for the families of the loved ones who are impacted by this unacceptable misconduct. It is clear public trust has been lost and Mr. Cotter must resign as the Pueblo County Coroner immediately,” said Polis.

The Colorado governor added that he believed the coroner “should be investigated and if warranted, prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

He continued, “No one should ever have to wonder if their loved one is being taken care of with dignity and respect after they’ve passed, and Mr. Cotter must be held to account for his actions.”

The CBI first announced that the remains had been uncovered at Davis Mortuary in a release on Thursday, Aug. 21. “During the inspection, authorities reported finding several bodies in various stages of decomposition,” investigators said.

“The appointed designee for the funeral home, Brian Cotter, told inspectors that some of the bodies had been awaiting cremation for approximately 15 years,” the CBI continued. “He also admitted that he may have given next-of-kin fake remains.”

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Inspectors found “around 20 or so” bodies, officials later said in a press conference shared by the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) on Facebook. The bodies were allegedly found behind a door after Cotter told the inspectors not to go inside a room that had been covered by a cardboard display, according to ABC News. 

“Upon removing the cardboard display, Mr. Cotter asked the inspectors not to enter the room behind the previously hidden door,” a spokesperson told CBS News.

An official from the CBI previously said the agency is working to identify all the victims and contact their families.

No formal charges have been filed at this time, and the investigation remains ongoing.