by Arrest Warrant Issued for Funeral Home Owner Accused of Mishandling Remains
An arrest warrant has been issued for the owner of a funeral home in Colorado who has been accused of keeping the cremated remains of at least 30 people in a rented house and a dead woman’s body in a hearse for two years. Miles Harford, the owner of Apollo Funeral and Cremation Services in Littleton, Colorado, is now under investigation by the Denver Police Department.
Authorities made the shocking discovery of the cremated remains at the home Harford had been renting. Additionally, police believe that Harford had given some families the wrong remains, causing further distress to those grieving the loss of their loved ones. The family of the deceased woman found in the hearse had been told that they had received her remains, only to find out later that it was not the case.
The investigation revealed that Harford, who appeared to be facing financial difficulties, is believed to be in the Denver area. He now faces charges of abuse of a corpse, forgery of a death certificate, and theft. However, no record of an attorney representing Harford could be found.
The Denver Sheriff’s Department discovered the remains after the property owner evicted Harford and reported finding boxes of cremains while cleaning the space. Not only did they find the cremated remains, but they also discovered the body of a 63-year-old woman who had died in August 2022 of natural causes. Her family was later informed about the distressing discovery, and her remains were sent to the medical examiner’s office in Denver.
Denver Police Commander Matt Clark revealed that three dozen temporary urns, some of them empty, were found inside the rented home. The urns were described as black plastic boxes similar in size to a shoebox. Additional urns were discovered inside the hearse along with the woman’s body. All the remains recovered are believed to be individuals who passed away between 2012 and 2021.
While the medical examiner’s office will not conduct DNA tests on the remains due to the difficulty of extracting samples from ashes, Clark stated that additional charges may be filed once more information about Harford’s operations and handling of human remains becomes available.
Authorities are urging former clients of Harford’s funeral home who have concerns to contact the police, and anyone with information on the case is encouraged to reach out to Metro Denver Crime Stoppers.
This is not the first funeral home investigation in Colorado. The state currently lacks routine inspections or qualification requirements for funeral home operators. In previous cases, improperly stored bodies were found in another funeral home in Penrose, Colorado, and a married couple was arrested for abandoning nearly 200 bodies in a bug-infested facility. It is hoped that legislation will be introduced to regulate funeral homes and prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
The incident has left many families devastated and raises concerns about the handling of remains by funeral homes. The investigation continues, and authorities are determined to bring justice to those affected by this disturbing situation.
