I'm thinking Nicrophorus humator or maybe N. nigrita, although to tell you the truth I don't remember what source I used to come to that conclusion. I just wrote the species on a sticky note and left it in a random place...and have just discovered it again (yay!). I found three of these beautiful beetles outside around 1am on Sept 3rd. I have never seen them before or after that day, although that doesn't mean they aren't around anymore. Beetles aren't my forte yet (I'm currently working on spiders) so any info that the beetle enthusiasts here could offer would be greatly appreciated! I noticed they were all carrying mites. I have seen other large beetles that also carry mites, so probably just a symbiotic relationship that's pretty common in beetles? I'm also guessing that based on the name 'nicrophorus' that these may be eaters of the dead? I am curious why there were three of them (all seemingly full grown) within 4-5 feet of each other in the grass, and why I haven't seen them since. I need some help from the coleopteran pros! :)

I submitted lots of photos because I'm not sure what is needed for an ID. I have more if you need to see something specific. And I will remove some if you guys think it's too many.