Judge orders photos of victims not allowed in courtroom during Penrose funeral home hearings
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - An El Paso County judge has ruled that families of the almost 200 bodies found improperly stored at a Penrose funeral home can not bring photos of their loved ones to court proceedings.
The decision comes after several families showed up to the funeral home owners, Jon and Carie Hallford, first in-person trial holding photos of people the couple are accused of abusing.
The defense said in a motion that allowing photos is both a violation of the general prohibition against communications with persons in custody, and it also threatens to taint the jury panel and inject improper elements into the proceedings that could ultimately deprive the Hallfords of a fair trial and due process of law.
Jon and Carie Hallford are accused of Abuse of a Corpse, Theft, Money Laundering, and Forgery after nearly 200 bodies were found improperly stored at the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose.
