Colorado funeral home owners where decomposing bodies found returned to state to face charges

The proprietors of a now-closed funeral home in Colorado, where authorities discovered 190 decomposing human remains, have been extradited back to the state to respond to numerous felony allegations.

On Wednesday, Carie Hallford appeared via video link for her hearing at the District Court in Colorado Springs. KRDO-TV reported that District Judge Samorreyan Burney ruled to maintain her $2 million cash bail during the advisement session. Jon Hallford’s similar hearing occurred on Friday, where his bail was also upheld at $2 million.

Despite her public defender’s request to lower Carie Hallford’s bail to $50,000, referencing her clean criminal history, Judge Burney emphasized the gravity of her situation, facing over 250 felony charges. The Hallfords are each charged with 190 counts of corpse abuse, in addition to over 50 forgery counts, five theft counts, and four counts of money laundering, as per federal court documents.

Both have yet to submit a plea, and their next scheduled court dates are on December 5.

Official records reveal that both Hallfords are represented by the public defender’s office, which refrains from commenting on ongoing cases.

The investigation initiated in early October following reports of a foul odor, leading to the gruesome discovery at a Penrose location of Return to Nature Funeral Home, approximately 34 miles southwest of Colorado Springs.

Post-removal of the bodies, it was confirmed there were 190 sets of remains, some dating back up to four years. Authorities, including the coroner’s office, utilized fingerprints and medical records for identification purposes, and planned to use DNA testing if necessary.

Court documents indicated that families were deceitfully informed their deceased had been cremated, receiving false ashes instead.

The couple was apprehended on November 8 at Jon Hallford’s father’s residence in Oklahoma, following a federal arrest warrant that suggested they fled Colorado to evade legal consequences. However, the federal charge was dismissed subsequent to their arrests.

Carie Hallford was incarcerated at El Paso County Jail in Colorado Springs on Tuesday, while Jon Hallford was extradited back to Colorado on Wednesday.

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More about Colorado funeral home scandal

• KRDO-TV Report on Funeral Home Case
• Colorado Springs District Court Proceedings
• El Paso County Jail Inmate Information
• Federal Arrest Warrant Details
• Penrose, Colorado Location Information