Colorado Funeral Home Owners Face Decades-Long Sentences
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COLORADO SPRINGS — Prosecutors say a Colorado funeral home owner will be sentenced Friday after he and his then-wife stashed 189 decomposing bodies in a Penrose office building from 2019 to 2023, supplied families with fake ashes and admitted to nearly $900,000 in pandemic relief fraud. Investigators found bodies stacked with decomposition fluid and insects following a complaint; remains included adults, infants and fetuses. The couple pleaded guilty to nearly 200 counts of corpse abuse and face decades-long prison terms. Bereaved relatives discovered this week that ashes they buried were inauthentic. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research today.
Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.
Timeline of Events
- 2019–2023: Return to Nature operators stored bodies in a Penrose office building.
- November 2023: Authorities arrested Jon and Carie Hallford in Oklahoma on corpse-abuse charges.
- December 2023: The couple pleaded guilty to nearly 200 counts of corpse abuse.
- February 4, 2024: FBI notified Derrick Johnson that ashes he buried were not his mother's remains.
- April 2024: Sentencing scheduled; Carie Hallford set for April 24 and Jon Hallford faces sentencing the same week.
- Articles Published:
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Regulators, oversight bodies and licensed funeral providers may benefit from strengthened regulations, increased inspections, and restored public trust following exposure of the Hallfords' conduct.
Grieving families experienced emotional trauma, potential financial loss, and violation of expectations after receiving inauthentic ashes and learning remains were mishandled.
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Colorado Funeral Home Owners Face Decades-Long Sentences
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