Additional charges filed against Colorado funeral home operator for keeping body in hearse for over a year

DENVER — The arraignment of a funeral home owner from Colorado, who is facing serious allegations, has once again been postponed. The delay is due to the prosecutors introducing additional charges against him, raising concerns that have already been delayed multiple times due to the complexity of the case.

Miles Harford was supposed to present his plea on Monday to various charges that include two counts of forgery, one count of corpse abuse, and one count of theft. However, last week, the situation escalated as prosecutors added three further counts of abuse of a corpse, citing inappropriate handling of bodies or remains in a manner that could seriously disturb family members. Although the victims’ names were redacted in the court documents, these accusations reportedly date back to 2019.

Furthermore, Harford now faces four additional theft charges, which include two that involve vulnerable victims. While the court records did not provide specific information about the nature of the new charges, such as the monetary amounts involved or the specific circumstances surrounding the alleged thefts and abuses, they have raised significant alarms within the community.

At 34 years old, Harford is under the representation of the public defender’s office, which typically refrains from commenting on ongoing cases. His next court date is scheduled for January 17.

Harford’s legal troubles began in February when authorities discovered the body of Christina Rosales, who had passed away from Alzheimer’s at the age of 63, lying covered with blankets in the rear of a hearse. Moreover, the remains of at least 30 other individuals were found improperly stored in various locations at a rental property, including both inside the hearse and hidden within a crawl space.

As of February, law enforcement had managed to identify 18 individuals whose cremated ashes were recovered, as detailed in Harford’s arrest affidavit. In March, additional ashes were uncovered at the property, prompting prosecutors to suggest that more charges against Harford could be forthcoming.

This case highlights a troubling trend in Colorado, where the funeral home industry has faced a number of controversies over the past decade. Some facilities have been implicated in selling body parts illegally, while other cases involved the neglect of nearly 200 corpses, with families receiving fake ashes in return. Owners of these establishments have pleaded guilty to state charges for their misconduct, along with federal charges for defrauding clients and governmental bodies.

In response to these shocking incidents, Colorado has historically maintained weak regulations governing funeral homes. However, the recent cases have sparked legislative reforms. Earlier this year, Governor Jared Polis enacted two significant bills aimed at enhancing oversight of the funeral industry, aligning Colorado’s regulations with those of other states in the nation.