Overview

• Commissioners selected Grahek on Tuesday to serve in the role subject to a background check, a formal resolution and a swearing-in.
• He will fill the office until the November 2026 election, when voters choose the next coroner.
• The board reviewed 16 applicants, interviewed five finalists and used a ranked SurveyMonkey ballot, with two commissioners placing Grahek first and one preferring Zolanye McCulley-Bachicha.
• Officials weighed potential conflicts for McCulley-Bachicha’s ties to a family funeral home and questioned whether Grahek could balance the workload with his full-time clinic duties.
• The appointment follows the resignation of Brian Cotter after inspectors found 24 improperly stored bodies at Davis Mortuary, and Colorado Public Radio reported he is now under criminal investigation; Grahek says he aims to restore trust and plans to pursue ABMDI certification if he runs in 2026.