Colorado Funeral Home Owner Sentenced to 40 Years for Corpse Abuse Scandal
Jon Hallford, the owner of Return to Nature Funeral Home in Colorado, has been sentenced to 40 years in state prison for a shocking case of corpse abuse that affected nearly 200 families. The court heard how Hallford stored 189 decomposing bodies in a building over four years, while giving grieving families fake ashes and using their payments to fund an extravagant lifestyle.
"Unspeakable and Incomprehensible" Harm
Judge Eric Bentley delivered the sentence on Friday, February 6, telling Hallford he had caused "unspeakable and incomprehensible" harm to the families involved. The judge noted that while he believes all humans are fundamentally good, Hallford's crimes tested that belief to its limits.
"It is my personal belief that every one of us, every human being, is basically good at the core, but we live in a world that tests that belief every day, and Mr. Hallford your crimes are testing that belief," Bentley said during the emotional sentencing hearing.
Families' Ongoing Trauma
The courtroom was filled with family members of the deceased who spoke about their ongoing trauma. Many described recurring nightmares about decomposing flesh and maggots since learning what happened to their loved ones. Others spoke of guilt after discovering the ashes they had spread or kept at home were not actually their relatives' remains.
Kelly Mackeen, whose mother's remains were handled by Return to Nature, told the court: "I'm a daughter whose mother was treated like yesterday's trash and dumped in a site left to rot with hundreds of others. I'm heartbroken, and I ask God every day for grace."
Gruesome Discovery in Penrose
Investigators discovered the horrific scene in October 2023 after responding to reports of a stench from a building in the small town of Penrose, south of Colorado Springs. The Hallfords had stored bodies there from 2019 until their discovery.
Authorities found bodies stacked on top of each other, with swarms of bugs and decomposition fluid covering the floors. The remains—including adults, infants, and fetuses—were stored at room temperature without proper preservation. Identification took months using fingerprints, DNA, and other forensic methods.
Lavish Lifestyle Funded by Grief
While families grieved, the Hallfords lived extravagantly using money paid for funeral services. Court documents revealed they purchased a GMC Yukon and an Infiniti worth over $120,000 combined, along with $31,000 in cryptocurrency and expensive goods from luxury retailers including Tiffany & Co and Gucci.
Prosecutor Shelby Crow told the court: "Clearly this is a crime motivated by greed." The Hallfords charged more than $1,200 per customer, and the money they spent on luxury items would have more than covered the cost to cremate all of the bodies properly.
Multiple Criminal Charges
Both Jon Hallford and his ex-wife Carie Hallford, who co-owned the funeral home, pleaded guilty in December to nearly 200 counts of corpse abuse under an agreement with prosecutors. Carie Hallford is due to be sentenced on April 24 and faces 25 to 35 years in prison.
The couple also pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges for receiving nearly $900,000 in pandemic relief funds as a small business while committing these crimes. The state prison sentence will be served concurrently with the federal sentence.
Previous Legal Proceedings
Judge Bentley had previously rejected plea agreements between the Hallfords and prosecutors that called for up to 20 years in prison, after family members of the deceased argued the agreements were too lenient. The current 40-year sentence reflects the severity of the crimes and their impact on the community.
During sentencing, Hallford apologized and said he would regret his actions for the rest of his life. "I had so many chances to put a stop to everything and walk away, but I did not," he said. "My mistakes will echo for a generation. Everything I did was wrong."
Broader Pattern of Financial Issues
Previous reporting by AP revealed the Hallfords had missed tax payments, been evicted from one of their properties, and were sued for unpaid bills, according to public records and interviews with former employees. This pattern of financial mismanagement preceded the horrific discovery at their funeral home.
The case has sent shockwaves through Colorado's funeral industry and raised questions about oversight and regulation of funeral homes. For the families affected, the sentencing represents a measure of justice, though many say the emotional scars will never fully heal.
