LITTLETON, Colo. (TCD) — Police arrested a funeral home director this week on suspicion of keeping the remains of more than 30 individuals and providing other people’s cremains to families.
In a press conference held by the Denver Police Department, Commander Matt Clark with the Major Crimes Unit said officials served an eviction against 33-year-old tenant Miles Harford on Feb. 6 at a home in the 2500 block of South Quitman Street. When removing the tenant’s belongings, the homeowners found several boxes in the crawl space. Investigators determined the boxes to be temporary urns containing cremated human remains. Some of the temporary urns were empty.
Harford reportedly worked as the funeral director of Apollo Funeral & Cremation Services from 2012 to 2022.
Police said Harford stored a hearse in the backyard, and investigators found a deceased woman inside under a blanket during a search.
The medical examiner confirmed the victim in the hearse to be a 63-year-old woman who died in August 2022, and her body had been concealed in the vehicle since shortly after her death. However, according to Clark, Harford provided the woman’s family with another person’s cremains but told them they belonged to their loved one.
#Denver, can you help investigators locate this suspect, who is wanted for abuse of a corpse? If so, call @CrimeStoppersCO at 720-913-7867 — you can remain anonymous and earn a cash reward! pic.twitter.com/mcQHXpcXDD
— Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) February 22, 2024
@DenverPolice
Investigators served a search warrant on a U-Haul outside the home and reportedly found six additional urns with remains.
According to Clark, the individuals whose ashes were found in the urns died between 2012 and 2021. In total, investigators recovered the remains of at least 30 people, and they’re working to identify the victims and connect with their families.
Further investigation revealed Harford allegedly struggled financially and accumulated a large amount of debt. He was unable to complete cremations as a result. Unbeknownst to families, Harford reportedly gave families other people’s cremains so that funeral services could be held.
Police allege due to his debts, businesses would no longer work with Harford on cremations, so he kept the woman’s body in the back of the hearse.
Police obtained a warrant for Harford’s arrest on charges of abuse of a corpse, forgery, and theft, and officers posted a bulletin asking about his whereabouts. Law enforcement officials eventually located Harford and arrested him on Thursday, Feb. 22.
Additional charges are possible.
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