Colorado Funeral Home Owners Guilty of Corpse Abuse

Jon and Carie Hallford, owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Colorado, pleaded guilty to 191 counts of corpse abuse after investigators found nearly 200 decomposing bodies improperly stored at their facility. In a plea deal, Jon faces a 20-year prison sentence, while Carie could receive between 15 to 20 years, with the sentencing scheduled for April 2025. The Hallfords defrauded families by providing fake cremains and misusing both customer payments and nearly $900,000 in COVID-19 relief funds to finance a luxurious lifestyle. Additional charges of theft, forgery, and money laundering were dropped as part of the plea agreement. Victims' families, profoundly affected by the betrayal, have voiced dissatisfaction with the proposed sentences. The case also involves federal charges, with sentencing for those pending.