Return to Nature Funeral Home owners Jon and Carie Hallford pleaded guilty in state court on Friday to 190 counts of abuse of a corpse, leaving the couple facing a potential 20-year prison sentence.  

The funeral home in Penrose, about 35 miles southwest of Colorado Springs, came under a multi-agency investigation in October 2023 after complaints about a foul odor in the area. Investigators said they found nearly 190 bodies in various states of decomposition that were not properly stored.

Return to Nature co-owners to appear in court for plea hearing

Last month, the pair appeared in federal court. At that hearing, both Hallfords pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, with the remaining 14 counts to be dismissed as part of the plea agreement if accepted by the court. The sentencing hearing for the Hallfords’ federal case is scheduled for March 20. 

The state plea agreements Friday in 4th Judicial District Court, if accepted, would see Jon Hallford sentenced to 20 years in prison while Carie Hallford faces a sentencing range of 15 to 20 years in prison. On the state level, if the plea agreement is accepted, all other charges will be dismissed. 

Judge Eric Bentley explained to the court that if he decides to deny the plea agreement the Hallfords will have the option to withdraw their guilty pleas and go to trial. Bentley will ultimately make that decision at the couple’s sentencing hearing next year. 

On Friday, Carie Hallford claimed her husband tried to protect her from the conditions inside the Penrose location and she had not been there in a year. However, she admitted she “knew enough” about what was going on and opted to do nothing about it. 

The prosecution added that cellphone location tracking placed her at the Penrose location just over a dozen times between April 2022 and October 2023. 

After the entry of guilty pleas the court decided to revoke Carie Hallford’s bond. As officers placed handcuffs on Carie Hallford, many of the victims in the courtroom stood up and applauded the decision; others started crying. 

“I feel like the judge actually cares about our feelings, considering he had her put back in jail, which is where she should be,” said Megan Morgan, whose sister’s remains were found at the Penrose location. “I didn’t even think about that being a possibility.”

Bentley explained that due to Carie Hallford pleading guilty she is no longer entitled to a bond in her case as the reason for revoking it. She will be returned to the custody of the El Paso County jail while Jon Hallford is transferred back to federal custody. 

The prosecution briefly went over the victims’ objections to the plea agreement. Out of the 267 victims in consistent communication with attorneys, six wanted to speak in front of the court Friday to object. They claimed the Hallfords’ estimated time in prison will be insufficient due to their conduct.

Judge Bentley did not allow victims to speak, but instead explained they would have an opportunity at sentencing to make their voices heard. Victims can choose to either object to the plea or provide an impact statement. 

“I have very mixed feelings about that,” Carol Prest said of having to choose whether to object or give an impact statement. “I was for the plea in the statement that I had written for today, but then last night in the Zoom meeting, I was like, ‘OK, I want them to go to court just because the sentence is ridiculously small.'” 

The deadline to submit a written objection to the plea agreement is one week prior to the sentencing date, April 11.

The Hallfords will appear next in state court April 18 for sentencing; the federal hearing is set for March 20. 

“The impact on these family members has been immense,” District Attorney Michael Allen said after the hearing. “It’s just something that strikes at the very core of trust, and when you’re going through life experiences of loved ones, and having somebody violate that trust is something that they’ll likely never recover from, but it’s an honor for us to be able to stand with them in this process to achieve justice for them.”