Ashes found in storage unit, relatives are told

Dozens of containers with human ashes have been found in a storage unit rented by a former Colorado Springs funeral home director accused of scamming clients, a group of victims and their kin were told last week.

One of the relatives said the macabre collection included her brother’s ashes, which purportedly had been scattered on Pikes Peak in the early 1990s.

Many relatives of those whose ashes were found were notified by letter earlier this

year, but no surviving relatives can be found for about 50 of the people whose remains are in the containers, the victims and relatives were told at a meeting with prosecutors last week.

Neva Nolan, 71, was arrest- ed in August and faces more than 90 criminal charges, including 25 counts of theft, eight counts of abuse of a corpse, two counts of improperly selling prepaid contracts and 55 counts of theft from atrisk adults. She is scheduled for a court appearance on Tuesday at which a plea deal may be announced.

Prosecutors accuse her of stealing more than $140,000 from people who prepaid the now-shuttered Nolan Funeral Home for their funeral expenses. The victims never received a refund when those services weren’t provided, investigators say. Most of the victims, a majority of them elderly, lost between $3,000 and $4,000.

Prosecutors from the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office told the assembled victims and relatives last Monday that the number of named victims has risen to more than 100. The meeting was to keep the victims apprised of the status of the investigation and the court case.

Linda Carnell’s brother William Elson II was cremated at Nolan Funeral Home about 15 years ago, and the family paid for his ashes to be spread on Pikes Peak. His remains were found in the storage unit.

Carnell said that every time she looked at Pikes Peak over the past 15 years, she was comforted by the thought that it was her brother’s final resting place.

“Then I find out in July he’s been sitting in some storage shed,” Carnell said. “My brother and I just started crying when we got that letter.”

“We had to relive the grief all over again,” said Carnell, who buried the box with her brother’s remains and had another service for him. “I’m just glad my mom had passed away before all this and didn’t know.”

Carnell said she was told 70 boxes with remains were found in the shed.

Nolan, who is being held on $50,000 bond at the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center, is due back in court Tuesday for a possible disposition hearing.

District attorney’s spokeswoman Denise Minish declined comment on the meeting or on any plea negotiations.

Marcia Fields of Colorado Springs, who said she attended last week’s meeting, reported that the victims are split on what should happen to Nolan. Some have forgiven her, and others “hope she dies in prison,” Fields said.

Fields’ mother, who has since died, had a prepaid contract with Nolan Funeral Home. She was forced to go to another funeral home after the family realized Nolan would not honor the contract or refund their money, Fields said.

“It was heartbreaking sitting there with these very elderly people with worry in their eyes,” Fields said of the victims’ meeting. “My mom’s gone, but these people still have to figure out what they’re going to do. Neva Nolan took more than money from them; she took their feeling of security and that good feeling they might have had taking care of these arrangements for their families.”

Victims were also told there’s little chance of restitution — Nolan has no money investigators could find.

“Some are of the mind that she should get probation and work off her restitution,” Fields said.

Nolan could be sent to prison for more than 100 years if she is convicted of all charges.