Funeral homeowners who allegedly gave families fake ashes plead guilty in fraud case

The couple who allegedly abandoned about 190 dead people in their funeral home facility have pleaded guilty to cheating the federal government out of more than $800,000 of COVID-19 pandemic relief funds, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Jon Hallford, 44, and Carie Hallford, 47, face up to 20 years behind bars, authorities said.

Their Colorado state case is pending for charges including abuse of corpse, money laundering and forgery.

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The Hallfords co-owned Return to Nature Funeral Home, which operated in Colorado Springs and Penrose. In October 2023, locals in Penrose noted an awful smell emerging from the property linked to the business.

Law enforcement found “approximately 190” dead bodies in the building, some of them dating back to 2019, federal authorities said Thursday. The 190th body was a female victim buried in a male Vietnam War veteran’s gave. Investigators in the bodies case previously said they were not quite certain regarding how many people were there or even the identities of every person.

Some victim families have claimed that the Hallfords gave them fake ashes instead of real remains.

Regarding the Penrose facility, investigators claimed they found bodies uncovered, partially covered at best, some laying on the floor, or stacked on other remains.

“Investigators also located personal artifacts, presumably given to Return to Nature by family members with the intention of the artifacts being buried or placed with the remains,” they wrote.

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Fluids from decomposition covered the floors. Maggots, flies, and other insects infested the building. Authorities said that in some areas, they covered the floor and were on the bodies.

“In many of the clear plastic bags, decomposition fluid had filled the bags and/or caused the bags to break subsequently spilling human decomposition on the floor,” they wrote. “Five gallon red and orange plastic buckets from Harbor Freight and Home Depot were in the building. In some instances, the buckets were placed below the bodies to collect the leaking decomposition fluid. The condition of the floors presented a slip hazard for the team that ultimately removed the bodies.”

The couple collected money from victims’ families, insurance companies, the state of Colorado, and others, authorities said. They allegedly laundered income by making personal purchases, such as automobile purchases, according to documents.

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