On Wednesday, the proprietors of a funeral home in Colorado were taken into custody following the discovery of nearly 200 decomposing bodies stored improperly on their premises.
Jon and Carie Hallford, the proprietors of the Return to Nature Funeral Home, have been apprehended on four felony charges, which encompass abuse of a corpse, theft, money laundering, and forgery, according to a statement from the district attorney for Colorado’s 4th judicial district.
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The couple was arrested without any resistance in Wagoner, Oklahoma, and both have had bonds set at $2 million.
Although the probable cause affidavit has been sealed, District Attorney Michael Allen revealed that he wouldn’t oppose its release to the public at a later date. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, he warned, “I want to warn you, the information contained in that affidavit is absolutely shocking.” As the investigation unfolds, prosecutors may bring forth additional charges in the case.
The initial search of the funeral home, located approximately 30 miles south of Colorado Springs in Penrose, took place on October 3, prompted by a report of an “abhorrent smell” emanating from the building.
The findings inside were described as “horrific” by Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper during a press conference on October 6. However, he refrained from disclosing further details about the investigation. Return to Nature Funeral Home, as stated on its website, specializes in offering green and natural burial services, which permit bodies to decompose underground without the use of metal caskets or chemicals.
While this practice is legally permitted in Colorado, the law mandates that un-embalmed bodies must be refrigerated within 24 hours of death.
Last month, Fremont County Coroner Randy Keller declined to confirm whether the remains discovered at Return to Nature were designated for natural burial, but he did acknowledge that they were “improperly stored.”
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Certain family members of individuals whose remains were sent to the funeral home for cremation have alleged that they were provided with counterfeit ashes comprised of dry concrete. Additionally, the Associated Press reported that the Hallfords faced a lawsuit from a crematory that had terminated its business dealings with them. Strikingly, this issue did not attract the attention of inspectors in a state with known leniency in funeral home regulations, even after the company’s registration had expired in November.
Initial estimates by investigators suggested that around 115 bodies were housed within the 2,500-square-foot building. However, upon transferring all the remains to the El Paso County Coroner’s Office, that number was revised first to 189 and then to 190 individuals.
The process of identifying specific victims remains ongoing, as Keller disclosed on Wednesday. To date, 110 individuals have been identified using fingerprints, dental records, or medical devices. Of those, 25 bodies have been returned to their respective families.
In response to the severity of the situation, Colorado Governor Jared Polis declared a verbal state of disaster to mobilize additional resources for the investigation. This effort has engaged state and federal investigative bureaus, three county coroners’ offices, the state’s emergency management agency, and state and local law enforcement agencies.
Some of the investigators participating in the case come from an FBI team experienced in responding to mass casualty events, such as the events of 9/11 and airline crashes.
