Carie Hallford sentenced to 30 years in state prison

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Carie hallford, who co-owned "Return to nature funeral home" in Penrose, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.  The long and tragic story surrounding the discovery of nearly 200 improperly stored bodies, coming to a close. Carie and her husband, Jon, have been at the center of more than two years worth of news stories and court appearances. The sentence was handed down just after 3p.m. on Friday.

This was desecration to our loved ones bodies," Samantha Naranjo, whose mother was found in the funeral home, told KRDO13. "And this happened for four years to over a thousand customers. The stain it did to the Earth is definitely sitting with us for the rest of our lives."

Family members of victims spoke at length, repeatedly asking the court for the maximum 35-year sentence. One family member said she wanted the Halfords to be cremated to she could carry around their ashes as justice.

The sentence may help some of the families find closure, but some say the fallout will last forever.

"This does not give me closure," said Chrystina Page, whose son was found in the funeral home. "My son is still rotten. I still got three full bodies-worth of of cremated remains back after his proper cremation."

"It's not about how long the sentence is. It's about the fact that now this is the end of one of the chapters for both of those individuals, who are the only two who know exactly what happened and what they did," said Erin Smelser, whose mother was found in the funeral home.

The defense argued Carie Halford was abused by her husband, and was unwilling participant, but the families say it's not an excuse.

"I think that if she was truly sorry and truly coerced, she would have testified against Jon," said Caitlin Castillo, Smelser's sister. "She would have given the investigators all the information. And she would stand up in court and tell us everything that happened."

The prosecution argued Carie was the face of the operation, calling her role the manipulative and calculating portion of the scandal.

Carie's attorneys also said they would not appeal the sentence.

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