A couple in Colorado was arrested late last week after the “decaying body” of a truck driver was discovered inside of a coffin at their Funeral Home.
The couple was arrested on Thursday, February 18th in Lake County, Colorado.
According to ABC Denver, investigators discovered the “decaying body” inside a coffin at the Kent Funeral Home and say it had been there for “many months.” The body has been identified as 42-year-old Victor Akubuo, a truck driver who was killed in a single-semi truck crash on July 30th, 2020. Reports state that Akubuo’s body was released to the Kent Funeral Home on August 11th. His family has since been notified of the situation, and has made arrangements with another funeral home.
Shannon and Staci Kent, owners of the funeral home, have been in trouble with the law before. According to court documents, Shannon Kent was out on bond at the time of his most recent arrest for having his wife act as Deputy Coroner without being legally sworn or having an appointment filed with the County Clerk for at least two years. Their operating license was permanently revoked in December 2020.
Additionally, the Kents have been under investigation for at least a year after a mother who gave birth to a stillborn baby received ashes that made her “not sure” they were her son’s. She claims the ashes did not fit into the infant-sized urn she had provided, and she was given no death certificate, chain of custody of the remains, or any other evidence proving whose remains they were, reported 9 News.
When examined by investigators, experts determined that the ashes came from a “minimum of two people,” and suspected they were from an infant and a “larger individual.”
The Kents were charged with attempted tampering with a deceased human body on Friday, February 19th, and are being held on $10,000 bond. Shannon Kent is also facing charges for villating bond conditions.
“[This is] a sad case involving our community and a difficult investigation for our officers,” said Silverthorne Police Chief John Minor.