Jon Hallford, who co-owned the Return to Nature Funeral Home, is set to appear in court Friday for his state sentencing, marking the end of his criminal cases after he was sentenced to 20 years in prison last month on a federal wire fraud charge.

Authorities arrested Jon Hallford and his co-defendant, Carie Hallford, after they found nearly 200 decomposing bodies in the Penrose funeral home in October 2023.

Both Carie and Jon Hallford pleaded guilty to 190 state counts of abuse of a corpse in November, with their sentences expected to run concurrently — or at the same time — as their federal sentences. 

While the courtroom was packed for Jon Hallford’s federal sentencing, some of the victims withheld their impact statement until he is sentenced in state court. 

“The federal case was really about the money side of these crimes. And honestly, most of us don’t care about that,” said Tanya Wilson, whose mother’s body was among those identified in Penrose.

Return to Nature co-owner Jon Hallford appeals 20-year federal prison sentence

“This hearing is the one that’s important … to me anyway … because it’s specifically about the horrific way our loved ones were treated.”

At previous hearings, some victims expressed frustration over the plea deal and the concurrent nature of the federal and state sentences.

“I feel like this is our last chance to fight for accountability and justice because the plea deal as it stands now does not give us that,” Wilson said. 

Jon Hallford’s guilty plea in his federal case in October 2024 dismissed a majority of the charges. A judge sentenced him to two decades behind bars in July for one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, but his defense counsel has appealed the sentence. 

Return to Nature: Carie Hallford enters plea deal, remains a 'liar' to one family

Carie Hallford, who has gone back and forth with her federal plea, entered into an agreement earlier this month in which she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. 

Carie Hallford’s federal sentencing date is set for Dec. 3. According to previous Gazette reporting, her prison sentence cannot exceed 20 years, but the prosecution is likely to recommend only 15 years in prison. 

No state sentencing date has been set for her because of the ongoing nature of her federal case, court records show. 

A class-action lawsuit against the Return to Nature Funeral Home resulted in a judgment of more than $950 million last summer.