Funeral Director Jailed After Corpse Found in Hearse
The idea of honoring the dead is sacred — entrusting someone to handle a loved one's final journey is an act of deep trust.
But for dozens of grieving families in Colorado, that trust was allegedly violated in unimaginable ways. What started as a routine eviction in early 2024 would soon uncover a chilling series of events that shocked an entire community and brought long-overdue scrutiny to a loosely regulated industry.
The Shocking Discovery
It all began on Feb. 6, 2024.
Police responding to a landlord's eviction notice at a rental home on Quitman Street in Denver stumbled upon a scene no one expected. In the back of a hearse parked on the property, authorities discovered the decomposing remains of Christina Rosales, a 63-year-old woman who had died over 18 months earlier.
Inside the home were boxes filled with what police identified as cremated remains — some labeled, some not. Detectives eventually linked the remains to at least 30 individuals who died between 2012 and 2021.
As it turned out, Miles Harford, the 34-year-old former director of Apollo Funeral and Cremation Services, had been operating under increasingly suspect circumstances. Not only had he allegedly failed to cremate Rosales, but he had given her family the ashes of someone else, telling them they were hers.
A History Unfolds
What followed was an investigation into Harford's professional conduct and business practices. Denver police uncovered additional evidence pointing to more than just neglect. Harford faced a total of 12 initial charges, including forgery and theft, some of which stemmed from allegations he hacked a former employer's business account to pay a bill.
However, in April 2025, Harford pleaded guilty to one felony count of abuse of a corpse and one misdemeanor count of theft as part of a plea deal that resulted in dropped charges.
On June 9, 2025, Harford was sentenced to 18 months in prison, the maximum allowed for the charges under Colorado law.
In court, he expressed remorse for his actions before receiving his sentence.
A System Under Scrutiny
The case hit a nerve, not just because of the disturbing imagery but because it underscored longstanding issues within Colorado's funeral industry. At the time of the crimes, the state had no licensing requirement for funeral directors.
That loophole has since closed.
In 2024, Colorado lawmakers passed legislation to regulate mortuary science professionals for the first time in state history following multiple high-profile scandals, including one where nearly 200 decomposing bodies were found inside a funeral home in Penrose, Colorado.
Community Fallout and Legal Impact
The fallout from Harford's actions remains deeply personal. Families like the Rosaleses believed they had already grieved, only to find out they had buried or scattered the wrong ashes.
According to Denver Police Commander Matt Clark, detectives determined that Rosales' body had likely been in the hearse since shortly after her death in August 2022.
Denver District Attorney John Walsh addressed the public in a statement reported by PEOPLE, saying, "Nothing will ever undo the terrible pain that Miles Harford caused so many families, but it is our hope that this sentence will provide the family and friends of the deceased with some measure of justice."
A Quiet End for a Loud Crime
Apollo Funeral and Cremation Services, located in Littleton, had already shuttered its doors well before Harford's arrest.
The building is now empty, and Harford is serving his sentence in a Colorado prison. But for those left behind, the emotional and psychological damage lingers.
References: Colo. Funeral Home Director Who Pleaded Guilty to Storing Corpse in Hearse for 18 Months Receives Maximum Prison Sentence | Judge sentences Colorado funeral home owner who kept woman's body inside a hearse for more than a year | Colorado funeral home owner who kept body inside a hearse for over a year pleads guilty
