Former Colorado funeral home owners plead guilty to nearly 200 charges after bodies found improperly stored

Last month, the pair pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on the federal level.

Jon and Carie Hallford
Jon and Carie Hallford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - After taking a plea deal on the federal level, the former owners of a Colorado funeral home took a plea deal on the local level after nearly 200 bodies were found improperly stored.

The case gained national attention after investigators raided the Return to Nature Funeral Home in October of 2023 in Penrose. The grisly discovery inside that funeral left families calling for justice for the way the remains of their loved ones were treated. The 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office says there are 267 victims in the case.

Jon and Carrie Hallford pleaded guilty to nearly 200 counts of abuse of abuse of a corpse. Money laundering and theft charges were dropped as part of the plea deal. In court, Jon admitted to not properly creating or burying remains. Jon faces up to 20 years in prison while Carrie faces up to 15, just for the state-level charges.

Last month, the pair pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud on the federal level. Sentencing for the federal case is set for a future date.

This is a developing story and KKTV 11 News will be providing more in-depth coverage throughout the day.

ALL ARTICLES