Funeral home owners plead guilty to nearly 200 counts of abuse of a corpse, wife back in custody
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - On Friday, the two funeral home owners who stand accused of taking money from families and leaving their loved ones bodies to decompose in a funeral home in Penrose, instead of cremating them, pleaded guilty and agreed to a plea deal for up to two decades in prison each.
In a shocking move, Judge Eric Bentley elected to revoke the bond for Carie Hallford, who has been out of custody in both her state and federal cases since early 2024. The decision came after roughly 10 seconds of silence in the courtroom, as families held their breath.
"Oh, my gosh. It was amazing. It was just amazing, that collective sense of relief, you know? And I think that's what we were all feeling in those moments," said Heather Dewolf, who believes her son's body was possibly one of the many left inside the Hallford's property.
Both Jon and Carie pled guilty to 191 counts of Abuse of a Corpse, for leaving bodies to decompose in their funeral home between the years 2019 to 2023.
The couple are both in custody, awaiting their sentencing date on April 18, 2025. The two also have a federal sentencing date on March 20, 2025, over a Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud charge filed by U.S Attorney's in April 2024.
Carie will be held in El Paso County Jail, while Jon will be transferred back to federal custody until the respective sentencing dates.
RELATED: Return to Nature owners Jon and Carie Hallford arrested by the FBI on federal warrant, back in jail
The husband and wife both owned Return to Nature funeral home, and have been at the center of controversy since their business was found to have nearly 200 bodies decomposing inside their property in Penrose, stacked on top of one another, in what a county coroner called a 'biohazard' upon the discovery in October 2023.
RELATED: Investigators make horrific discovery at Southern Colorado funeral home
Federal, state, and local investigators would soon descend upon the small town, as the grisly situation unfolded. The couple would be arrested in early November in Oklahoma, the home state of Jon and Caire, for the alleged improper storage of the bodies they were supposed to cremate, using payments from family members.
In addition to Abuse of a Corpse, the couple also 70 charges including money laundering, forgery, and theft.
KRDO13 Investigates has been tracking this story from the beginning. You can watch all of our reporting here.
