A funeral home stashed 189 decaying bodies and handed out fake ashes. His mother was among them

Associated Press (AP)CenterEN 8 min read 100% complete by By JESSE BEDAYNFebruary 6, 2026 at 12:23 AM

AI Summary

long article 8 min

The Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colorado is under investigation after 189 decaying bodies were discovered at the facility in October 2023. Derrick Johnson, whose mother Ellen Lopes had passed, used the funeral home for cremation services. He later received ashes that were not his mother's. The FBI contacted Johnson in February 2024 to inform him of the incident. The funeral home is accused of improperly storing bodies and providing fake ashes to grieving families. The case is ongoing, with authorities working to identify the remains and notify affected families.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Haleakalā Volcano 30% David Zalubowski 30% Thomas Peipert ×230% Maui 40% Colorado Springs, Colorado ×260% Ellen Lopes 70% FBI ×270% Penrose, Colorado ×470% Derrick Johnson ×690% Return to Nature Funeral Home ×595%

Keywords

funeral home 100% decaying bodies 90% fake ashes 80% return to nature funeral home 70% derrick johnson 60% fbi investigation 50% body storage 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.90

Source Transparency

Source

Associated Press (AP)

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Penrose, Colorado

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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funeral home decaying bodies fake ashes return to nature funeral home derrick johnson fbi investigation body storage

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