Hearing for Return to Nature co-owner postponed by weather
Courtesy of the Muskogee County Jail
A snowstorm sweeping across southern Colorado Thursday has led to the cancellation of a hearing for Carie Hallford, one of the co-owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home.
The snowstorm resulted in the closure of the El Paso County courthouse and the postponement of all hearings Thursday, and as a result, Carie Hallford will appear on Friday at 1:30 p.m. for her show cause hearing.
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Carie and her husband Jon Hallford are facing hundreds of charges related to the discovery of 190 bodies improperly stored at the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose.
According to previous reporting from The Gazette, Kate Singh, a spokesperson for the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, confirmed that Carie Hallford missed a required sobriety test that is part of her bond agreement. As a result, she will have to appear in court for a show cause hearing, where she could have her bond raised or revoked.
Court records show that Carie Hallford posted a $100,000 surety bond to be released from custody on Feb. 27. Continued sobriety tests as well as GPS monitoring are terms of her bond agreement, according to previous court hearings. Jon Hallford has been out on bond since Jan. 29 and has reportedly continued to maintain his requirements for release.
Carie Hallford’s attorney, Michael Stuzynski, in a previous phone conversation with The Gazette, stated that due to the gag order placed on the case he was unable to provide any additional information regarding Carie Hallford’s alleged bond violation, or if any other terms of her bond had been violated.
“All I can say is that there’s a court date where this will be addressed, and we will have answers,” Stuzynski said.
Return to Nature Funeral Home came under a multi-agency investigation in October following reports of a complaint about a foul odor in the area. Investigators said they found more than 180 bodies in various states of decomposition inside the building that were not properly stored. The two were arrested in Oklahoma in November 2023. Both appeared in court and had cash bonds set at $2 million.
