US EditionFamilies demand justice as Colorado judge reviews plea deals for funeral home owners
Judge Eric Bentley will decide on plea deals after families rejected lenient sentences for nearly 190 counts of corpse abuse at a Colorado funeral home.
- On Monday, State District Judge Eric Bentley will consider whether to accept plea agreements for Carie Hallford and Jon Hallford, former Return to Nature Funeral Home owners facing charges tied to nearly 190 bodies.
- Last year, the Hallfords pleaded guilty to counts of corpse abuse and later withdrew pleas after this case's prior plea rejections earlier this year, while family members of victims and a group seeking accountability protested lenient punishments.
- Investigators described finding bodies stacked atop each other in various states of decay in Penrose, Colorado, in 2023; the Hallfords are accused of dumping bodies, giving families of victims fake ashes, and admitting federal pandemic-aid fraud.
- If approved, the plea agreements would lead to separate sentencing proceedings for Jon Hallford and Carie Hallford, while State District Judge Eric Bentley previously rejected pleas citing deterrence.
- The Return to Nature case has spurred routine inspections as authorities investigating unidentified corpses report slow progress, with some remains unclaimed for years despite reforms by Colorado funeral-industry regulators.
33 Articles
33 Articles
Judge accepts guilty pleas from Colorado funeral home owners who acknowledged abusing 191 corpses
A judge has accepted guilty pleas for the owners of a Colorado funeral home for the abuse of 191 corpses, many of which languished in a room-temperature building for years.
Judge to rule on Hallford plea agreement in Return to Nature case
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- A judge will rule on whether to accept plea deals offered for Jon and Carie Hallford on Monday afternoon. The couple ran the now-infamous Return to Nature funeral home, where they were accused of leaving close to 200 bodies to stack up and decompose, reportedly giving families fake cremains. On Monday, a judge will decide if a new sentencing deal on the table is adequate for their crimes. Back in August, a judge r…
Court to decide on Jon and Carrie Hallfords' guilty pleas
(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) — A hearing will take place on Monday, Dec. 22, at 1:30 p.m. to determine if the court will accept the guilty pleas of Jon and Carie Hallford, the owners of the now-defunct Return to Nature Funeral Home. The guilty pleas were entered on Tuesday, Dec. 16, for the criminal cases [...]
Judge to decide on guilty pleas from Return to Nature funeral home owners
A judge will decide Monday whether to accept guilty pleas from the owners of the defunct Return to Nature funeral home, where 189 improperly stored bodies were discovered in Penrose in 2023.Jon and Carie Hallford are scheduled to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. The couple entered separate guilty pleas last week in their state criminal cases.Jon Hallford faces 30 to 50 years in prison, while Carie Hallford faces 25 to 35 years. The Hallfords were ar…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 54% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
