On February 6, 2024, law enforcement officers uncovered a horrifying scene during the court-ordered eviction of a residence leased by Miles Harford, the 33-year-old proprietor of Apollo Funeral & Cremation Services in Littleton, a Denver suburb.
The shocking revelation involved the discovery of a 63-year-old woman’s body, deceased since August 2022, and the cremated remains of at least 30 individuals concealed in a crawl space at Harford’s Denver home.
The unfolding of this grotesque episode has left a community bewildered and prompted a statewide manhunt for Harford.
Financial Struggles and Unethical Practices: A Troubled Business
Harford’s funeral home appeared to be entangled in financial turmoil, leading to instances where he struggled to fulfill cremation services.
In some distressing cases, it is alleged that grieving families were provided with the ashes of other individuals or, in some instances, even empty urns.
Denver Police Commander Matt Clark disclosed that temporary urns, resembling plastic shoe boxes, were discovered in the crawl space of the house, some of which were inexplicably empty.
A closer inspection during the eviction process revealed additional urns inside a moving truck parked outside, while the woman’s body was found in a hearse, covered with blankets.
Authorities suspect that Harford may have resorted to these disturbing practices as a result of financial difficulties plaguing his funeral business.
Charges outlined in the arrest warrant include abuse of a corpse, forgery of the death certificate, and theft of funds designated for the woman’s cremation.
Denver District Attorney Beth McCann hinted at the possibility of further charges emerging as the investigation unfolds.
The Alarming Timeline: Deceptive Actions Over a Decade
The recovered cremains are believed to be linked to individuals who passed away between 2012 and 2021, shedding light on a prolonged period of unethical conduct by Harford.
Apollo Funeral & Cremation Services specialized in providing cremation services to those with limited financial means or individuals without identifiable next of kin.
Authorities are diligently working to return labeled cremains to families, although they have ruled out DNA testing due to the “extreme temperatures involved in the cremation process” rendering DNA highly degraded.
Commander Matt Clark emphasized the resource-intensive nature and low likelihood of success associated with DNA testing in these circumstances. The lack of technological capability to undertake such measures has added another layer of complexity to this disturbing case.
The Victims’ Families: Betrayed Trust and Grief
The aftermath of this shocking revelation has left the affected families in profound anguish.
Clark shared the devastating impact on the woman’s family, expressing their disbelief and hurt upon discovering that the remains they believed to be processed and honored were, in fact, misrepresented.
The woman’s body, held in the hearse for an extended period, added an additional layer of emotional distress for the grieving family.
Colorado’s Funeral Industry Under Scrutiny: A Troubling Trend
Regrettably, Harford’s case is not an isolated incident within Colorado’s funeral industry. Recent years have witnessed an alarming trend of misconduct, exposing lax oversight.
A married couple in Colorado Springs awaits trial for allegedly abandoning nearly 200 bodies in a bug-infested facility, distributing fake ashes to grieving families.
In another case, operators of a funeral home in Montrose faced federal prison sentences for mail fraud, accused of selling body parts and providing fraudulent ashes.
A January report to lawmakers highlighted over two dozen criminal cases and complaints against Colorado funeral homes since 2007.
These cases ranged from mishandling bodies, theft of personal effects, improper embalming, mislabeled remains, to remains never being returned to families.
The report concluded that additional regulations were imperative to safeguard the public from such appalling incidents.
Conclusion: Seeking Justice and Reform
As the manhunt for Miles Harford intensifies, the disturbing revelations surrounding Apollo Funeral & Cremation Services have ignited a broader conversation about the oversight and regulation of the funeral industry in Colorado.
The affected families grapple with betrayal and grief, underscoring the need for comprehensive reforms to prevent the recurrence of such distressing incidents.
As the investigation unfolds, the community awaits justice for the victims and anticipates changes to ensure the integrity and compassion expected in the handling of the departed.