Penrose, Colorado – A scandal has rocked the small community of Penrose, Colorado, as a couple faces accusations of misusing funds and mistreating bodies at their eco-friendly funeral home business, Return to Nature. Jon and Carie Hallford, the owners of the funeral home, are alleged to have financed a lavish lifestyle instead of providing the promised biodegradable burials and cremations. This shocking revelation has left families devastated and the community reeling.
The Hallfords marketed their funeral services as a return to traditional burial methods with an eco-friendly approach, charging up to $1,895 per service. However, court documents have unveiled a different reality. From 2019 to 2023, they allegedly indulged in extravagant spending on luxury vehicles, cryptocurrency investments, and high-end jewelry, while neglecting the bodies entrusted to them.
Reports indicate that 189 bodies were discovered in deplorable conditions at the Penrose facility. Unrefrigerated and infested with bugs, the bodies exhibited signs of liquid decomposition. They were found stacked on top of each other or stored together in body bags wrapped in sheets and secured with duct tape. To add to the horror, some grieving families were given bags of mixed concrete instead of their loved ones’ ashes.
Jon Hallford was released from jail in January after posting a $100,000 bond, while Carie Hallford remains in custody under the same bond amount. They are set to be arraigned on charges that include abuse of a corpse, forgery, and money laundering.
As the community demands answers and accountability, the Penrose residents confront the unsettling reality that their loved ones were treated with disregard and disrespect. The legal repercussions for the Hallfords are just beginning to unfold, shedding light on how this business, which once appeared reputable, could have caused so much harm.