Officials have reported that the number of decaying bodies removed from a Colorado funeral home offering green burial services has increased to at least 189, up from the initial count of 115 reported two weeks ago.

The alert was initially raised due to complaints about a foul odor emanating from The Return to Nature Funeral Home. One official described the situation as "horrific" and "hazardous."

The FBI is assisting in the identification of the additional bodies that were discovered. This funeral home, located in Penrose, Colorado, approximately 30 miles south of Colorado Springs, specializes in environmentally friendly burials that exclude the use of chemicals, including embalming fluid. Instead, remains are interred in biodegradable caskets.

On October 13, the extra human remains were removed and transported to the El Paso County Coroner's Office. Officials mentioned that the body count might change as efforts to identify the bodies continue.

Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper emphasized the ongoing investigation and support for affected families, saying, "While the investigation for this incident continues, we also remain focused on the impacted families. We want to do all we can to provide the families the support they need as we shift to the next phase in this process."

The funeral home came under scrutiny after officials discovered 115 bodies on the property in early October. Jon Hallford, the funeral home's owner, faced accusations of attempting to conceal the "improper storage of human remains."

Green funerals are allowed in the state but remains must be buried within 24 hours or be properly refrigerated.

Fremont County Coroner Randy Keller previously warned that identifying the bodies would be a "very lengthy process" because of the need to obtain forensic information such as fingerprints and DNA.

Noted