DENVER (AP) —
A Colorado funeral home owner who hid nearly 190 decomposing bodies in a dilapidated building and gave grieving families fake ashes has been sentenced to the maximum 20 years in federal prison, capping one of the state’s most disturbing criminal scandals.
Jon Hallford, owner of Return to Nature Funeral Home, pleaded guilty last year in federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He separately pleaded guilty to 191 counts of corpse abuse in state court and faces sentencing in that case this August.
Horror Uncovered
Federal prosecutors had sought a 15-year sentence for Hallford, while his attorney asked for 10 years. But U.S. District Judge Nina Wang imposed the maximum penalty, describing Hallford’s crimes as extraordinary in their emotional devastation and scale.
“This is not an ordinary fraud case,” Judge Wang said.
Before sentencing, Hallford addressed the court, saying he opened his business to make a positive difference but became overwhelmed.
“I am so deeply sorry for my actions,” Hallford said. “I still hate myself for what I’ve done.”
Fake Ashes and Hidden Bodies
Between 2019 and 2023, Hallford and his wife, Carie Hallford, allegedly stored bodies in their funeral facility in Penrose, about two hours south of Denver, while sending families urns filled with fake ashes.
When authorities entered the building in 2023, they found bodies stacked atop each other in rooms so full that investigators couldn’t walk through without laying boards across pools of decomposing fluid.
“While the bodies rotted in secret, the Hallfords lived, they laughed and they dined,” said Derrick Johnson, whose mother’s body was among the victims. “My mom’s cremation money likely helped pay for a cocktail, a day at the spa, a first class flight.”
Some families discovered that they had buried the wrong person, while others learned that ashes they’d spread or kept as cherished mementos were not real remains.
Grief and Trauma
The emotional toll has been profound. At Friday’s sentencing, a young boy named Colton Sperry testified about the loss of his grandmother, whose body languished for four years inside the funeral home.
“I miss my grandma so much,” Colton told the judge through tears. He described falling into depression so deep that he once told his parents, “If I die too, I could meet my grandma in heaven and talk to her again.”
His parents sought urgent mental health care for him, leading to therapy and an emotional support dog.
Lavish Spending Exposed
Beyond the grief, prosecutors said Hallford and his wife defrauded the federal government of nearly $900,000 in pandemic relief funds. They spent the money—and payments from grieving families—on luxury purchases, including a GMC Yukon and an Infiniti SUV valued at over $120,000 combined, $31,000 in cryptocurrency, and high-end items from brands like Gucci and Tiffany & Co. They also paid for laser body sculpting treatments.
Carie Hallford is scheduled for trial in the federal case this September, alongside her next state court hearing on 191 counts of corpse abuse.
Jon Hallford remains in custody awaiting sentencing in his state case, where he could face additional time behind bars.
