ASHES OF BETRAYAL — Funeral Director Who Hoarded 189 Bodies Sentenced to 40 Years

A Colorado courtroom fell silent as a judge delivered a sentence that many grieving families had waited years to hear. Jon Hallford, the owner of the now-defunct Return to Nature Funeral Home, was sentenced to 40 years in prison after admitting to one of the most disturbing funeral industry scandals in recent American history.

Authorities say Hallford and his former wife, Carie Hallford, collected thousands of dollars from families who believed their loved ones were being respectfully cremated. Instead, investigators discovered that nearly 189 bodies had been stored for years in a deteriorating building in Penrose, a small community southwest of Colorado Springs. Many remains were severely decomposed, some beyond identification, and investigators reported insect infestation and conditions that shocked even experienced law-enforcement personnel.

The scheme came to light in 2023, when neighbors complained of a persistent and unbearable odor. What officers found inside the building triggered a sprawling investigation and hundreds of charges. In December 2025, Jon and Carie Hallford pleaded guilty to numerous counts related to the desecration of corpses and fraud.

Prosecutors argued the motive was simple: greed. Court records showed the business charged families more than $1,200 per cremation while the owners spent freely on travel, cosmetic procedures, and luxury purchases.

For the families, however, the case was never about money. It was about dignity. During emotional testimony, daughter Kelly Mackeen told the court she felt her mother had been “treated like yesterday’s garbage,” a statement that captured the anguish shared by many victims. Several relatives described recurring nightmares and lasting trauma after learning what had truly happened to those they loved.

Judge Eric Bentley acknowledged the profound emotional damage before imposing the sentence. In remarks from the bench, he reflected that he believes most people are good at heart—but said the crimes in this case had severely tested that belief.

For the families who filled the courtroom, the 40-year sentence brought a measure of justice, though not closure. As one relative quietly said outside the courthouse, “Nothing can give us back the peace we thought we had.”