Colorado Funeral Home Owner Faces Sentencing After Gruesome Discovery of 189 Decaying Bodies
A Colorado funeral home owner is set to be sentenced on Friday for storing nearly 200 decaying human bodies in an office building over four years, in one of the most shocking funeral home scandals in recent U.S. history. The case involves Jon Hallford, who will receive between 30 to 50 years in prison, following his earlier 20-year sentence for federal fraud. His wife, Carie Hallford, faces a separate hearing in April after both accepted plea deals in December.
The Heartbreaking Discovery and Its Impact on Families
In October 2023, investigators responded to reports of a foul odor emanating from a building in Penrose, outside Colorado Springs. Upon entering the 2,500 square-foot structure, they discovered 189 bodies stacked throughout, some so high they blocked doorways. The scene was described as horrific, with decomposition fluid covering the floors and bodies in various states of decay, some for years.
Authorities identified the remains using fingerprints, hospital bracelets, and medical implants. Shockingly, they also found Quikrete, which investigators believe was used to create fake ashes given to grieving families. Hundreds of families later learned that the ashes they received from the Hallfords were not their loved ones' remains, but instead, the bodies had been left to rot in the unrefrigerated building.
One Family's Personal Tragedy
Among the victims was Derrick Johnson, a 45-year-old man who buried what he thought were his mother's ashes behind his home on Maui in 2023, fulfilling her wish to overlook her grandchildren. In a devastating turn, the FBI informed Johnson that the ashes were fake, and his mother's body was among those decaying in Colorado.
Johnson's mother, Ellen Marie Shriver-Lopes, was a social worker known for her kindness, often housing neighborhood children and offering warm meals. She died on Super Bowl Sunday in 2023 after battling diabetes, and Johnson had hired Return to Nature Funeral Home, operated by the Hallfords, for her cremation. Carie Hallford personally handed Johnson the fake ashes, deepening the betrayal.
The Hallfords' Lavish Lifestyle Funded by Fraud
While neglecting their duties, the Hallfords lived extravagantly, authorities revealed. They pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and defrauded the federal government of nearly $900,000 in pandemic-era small business aid. Despite unpaid bills, they spent lavishly on luxury items, including a GMC Yukon and Infiniti worth over $120,000, $31,000 in cryptocurrency, and high-end jewelry from Tiffany & Co. and Gucci.
At a federal sentencing, Johnson expressed his anguish, stating, "While the bodies rotted in secret, the Hallfords lived, they laughed and they dined. My mom's cremation money likely helped pay for a cocktail, a day at the spa, a first-class flight."
Aftermath and Legislative Reforms
The scandal has had profound effects on the victims. Johnson, for instance, suffered panic attacks and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after learning the truth. He has since sought therapy and joined support groups with other affected families, slowly working toward healing while preparing statements for the sentencings.
In response to the case, Colorado lawmakers have moved to overhaul the state's lax funeral home regulations, aiming to prevent such atrocities in the future. The sentencing on Friday marks a critical step toward justice, though for many, like Johnson, closure remains elusive. "Justice is the part that is missing from this whole equation," he said. "Maybe somehow this justice frees me. And then there's part of me that's scared it won't, because it probably won't."
