News5 Investigates is staying on top of allegations against the Las Animas County Coroner accused of burying homeless people in mass graves. Now, some people in that area want a separate state investigation.
Some residents who are outraged at the possibility the accusations against Coroner Dominic Verquer are true want the Attorney General's Office to look into white-collar crimes he may have also committed.
News5 obtained the letter of request written by a resident to Attorney General Phil Weiser's office as well as the response from Deputy Attorney General Kurt Morrison.
In an email to the resident in Trinidad, Morrison suggests she file a complaint with the Department of Regulatory Agencies, or DORA, which oversees funeral directors in the state. He acknowledges the office has limited oversight of coroners.
Along with the accusations he buried indigent people in mass graves and pocketed the county Department of Human Services funds to provide them burial services, Verquer is also accused of acting as a funeral director and falsifying burial permits in at least two cases.
DORA investigators have met with at least two people in Trinidad since the CBI investigation began late last year. Neither the AG's office or DORA would confirm they are investigating.
However, Deputy Attorney General Morrison wrote in his email that as the lawyers for DORA, his office will "stay in the loop" on any information DORA gathers on Verquer if an official complaint is made.
Have a story you'd like News5 Investigates to look into? Send an email to News5Investigates@KOAA.com.
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