Penrose funeral home owners delay taking plea deal, final arraignment date set

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - The owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Jon and Carie Hallford, appeared in an El Paso County courtroom with a plea deal on the table.

Nearly 200 decomposing bodies were found improperly stored in the Return to Nature Funeral Home in October 2023.

The Hallfords have separate defense teams but, both sides asked for more time to contemplate a plea deal that was offered.

The plea would allow Jon Hallford to plead guilty to Counts 71-261, Abuse of a Corpse, in exchange for a sentence of 20 years in the Department of Corrections. Carie Hallford would be allowed to plead guilty to the same charges in exchange for 15-20 years in the Department of Corrections.

The judge decided that September 20, 2024, would be the final arraignment date where they either have to accept the plea or set trial dates.

Jon Hallford remains in federal custody so he did not appear and a bench warrant was issued.