FBI Investigating Colorado ‘Return to Nature’ Green Funeral Home

Law enforcement, including the FBI, spent Wednesday night investigating a Colorado funeral home, possibly due to the improper storage of human remains.

Around a dozen law enforcement vehicles were seen outside the Return to Nature Funeral Home, according to local news outlet KRDO. The funeral home is located in Penrose, a small community in Fremont County, Colorado.

In addition to federal law enforcement officials, there were also representatives from state and local agencies on the scene. The Fremont County Coroner’s Office was present outside the funeral home, while the county’s health department had some initial involvement, according to KKTV. 

The Return to Nature Funeral Home is a family-operated business that specializes in green burials, according to their website. This means that the funeral home does not use embalming fluid and buries bodies using biodegradable materials. 

Law enforcement officials said that there were at least three bodies improperly stored inside the home, though there could be more, according to KRDO.

Details of the investigation remain vague, with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office releasing a statement that said they were “meeting with our law enforcement partners, both state and federal, to determine jurisdiction, and who will be the lead investigative agency for this investigation.”

The funeral home remains under active investigation, with police tape blocking off part of the scene, KKTV reports. 

In January, the operators of the Sunset Mesa Funeral Home, also in Colorado, were sentenced to federal prison after investigators uncovered the illegal sale of body parts. 

There will be a press conference regarding the funeral home scheduled for later today, according to the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office.