Owners of Return to Nature Funeral Home make first appearance in El Paso County Court
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - The owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home, where almost 200 decomposing bodies were found improperly stored, were in court today for their first in-person appearance.
Multiple family members of people who used Return to Nature Funeral Home for cremation services held up pictures of their loved ones as Jon and Carrie Hallford walked into the courtroom.
The husband and wife showed zero emotion today. They were quiet and didn't speak as the judge informed them of 260 criminal charges they are each facing, including abuse of a corpse, money laundering, forgery, and theft.
During the hearing, both of the Hallfords attorneys asked to set a preliminary hearing date, where more evidence will be presented in the case, in early January.
Multiple family members told KRDO13 investigates they're angry that if convicted on their current charges they may not spend any time in prison because they are lower-level criminal charges.
The arrest affidavit, which gives the public more insight into the evidence in a criminal case, will remain sealed.
District Attorney Michael Allen says his office would not object to it being unsealed at their next court date in January.
Many of the family members said they will be at every single court date in the future, to show the people accused of mishandling their loved ones remains, that the pursuit of justice will never end for them.
