A former funeral home owner from Colorado is facing serious legal action after being accused of storing a woman’s corpse in a hearse for over a year and improperly handling more than 30 cremated remains.
Miles Harford is scheduled to appear in court on Friday to enter his plea on multiple charges, including two counts of forgery, one count of abuse of a corpse and one count of theft. The arraignment will take place in state court in Denver.
Harford, 34, is being represented by the state public defender’s office, which typically does not comment on ongoing cases.
The disturbing discoveries occurred during an eviction process at Harford’s residence in February.
Miles Harford, a former funeral home owner. Harford is accused of hiding a woman’s corpse in the back of a hearse for two years and hoarding the cremated remains of at least 30 people.
Denver Police Department via AP, File
Harford was arrested in Englewood, Colorado, after police responded to a call by an unnamed intoxicated person.
Authorities found the body of Christina Rosales, who passed away at the age of 63 due to Alzheimer’s disease. Her remains were reportedly covered in blankets and located in the back of a hearse parked at Harford’s home.
In addition to the body, around 35 cremated remains were allegedly discovered throughout the property, including in the hearse and a crawlspace.
Harford was released on a personal recognizance bond after his arrest.
According to The Denver Gazette, Harford’s business, Apollo Funeral and Cremation Services, lost its license in May 2022 after 10 years. There are indications that Harford continued some aspects of the business, including selling prepaid cremations, after Apollo failed.
The case adds to a troubling pattern of legal issues facing funeral homes in Colorado over the past decade.
The Denver residence where a former funeral home owner kept a deceased women’s body in a hearse for over a year. Miles Harford is scheduled to appear in court on October 18.
David Zalubowski/AP, file
Previous incidents include a facility that was caught selling body parts illegally and another case where nearly 200 bodies were left to decay, with families being provided fake ashes instead of their loved ones’ remains.
Historically, Colorado’s regulations governing funeral homes have been considered some of the weakest in the country.
However, the string of scandals has prompted significant changes. In response to the growing concerns, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed two bills into law this year aimed at overhauling the state’s oversight of the funeral industry.
These reforms are intended to align Colorado’s regulations with those of most other states, ensuring better protection for families and their deceased loved ones.
As Harford prepares for his court appearance, the case underscores ongoing issues within the funeral industry and the need for stricter regulations to prevent such incidents from recurring.
This article contains additional reporting from The Associated Press.
