Topline: Prosecutors said Jon Hallford was driven by greed when he left bodies, including children and fetuses, to decompose in piles.
Published: February 26, 2026 6:00 am ET
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Jon Hallford (via Waggoner County Sheriff’s Department)
PENROSE, CO — A Colorado funeral home co-owner was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Feb. 6 after authorities discovered nearly 200 decaying bodies at his facility.
Jon Hallford pleaded guilty to charges of corpse abuse related to the Return to Nature Funeral Home. Authorities found 189 bodies, including children and fetuses, inside a non-refrigerated building in 2023, according to the New York Times.
The courthouse was packed with family members of the deceased. Many asked Judge Eric Bentley to impose a maximum 50-year sentence for the neglect discovered in October 2023.
“I’m a daughter whose mother was treated like yesterday’s trash and dumped in a site left to rot with hundreds of others,” Kelly Mackeen told the court. Mackeen said she asks for grace every day while dealing with her heartbreak, as reported by CBS News.
Other family members described Hallford as a “monster” and told the court they suffer from nightmares about the decomposition of their loved ones. Prosecutors said the business also provided families with fake ashes instead of their relatives’ actual remains.
Hallford apologized during the hearing. He told the court he had many chances to stop his actions and walk away but failed to do so. “My mistakes will echo for a generation,” Hallford said. “Everything I did was wrong.”
Neighbors’ complaints of a foul odor led authorities to the funeral home. Investigators found remains had been improperly stored for up to four years, according to the New York Times.
Bodies were found throughout the building, some stacked on top of each other, with insects swarming and decomposition fluid covering the floors. Authorities identified the bodies over several months using fingerprints, DNA and other methods.
Judge Bentley said the crimes tested his belief that human beings are fundamentally good. He noted that the actions of the defendant challenged that core conviction.
The funeral home specialized in “green” burials. These services typically do not use embalming chemicals or metal caskets.
Colorado law allows for green funerals, but remains must be buried within 24 hours or kept in proper refrigeration. Investigators accused Hallford of attempting to conceal the improper storage of the remains, CBS News reported.
Prosecutors argued that Hallford and his ex-wife, Carie Hallford, were motivated by greed. They said the business earned enough money to care for the bodies properly, but the owners chose not to.
Carie Hallford, who co-owned the business, has pleaded guilty to similar charges. She is currently awaiting her sentencing hearing.
At the time of the discovery, Colorado did not require funeral home operators to hold a license or degree in mortuary science. New regulatory measures have been implemented in response to the scandal.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Corpse Abuse Scandal: Funeral Home Operator Gets 40-Year Prison Sentence
Prosecutors said Jon Hallford was driven by greed when he left bodies, including children and fetuses, to decompose in piles.
By Kate Byrd
Published: February 26, 2026 6:00 am ET
Jon Hallford (via Waggoner County Sheriff’s Department)
PENROSE, CO — A Colorado funeral home co-owner was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Feb. 6 after authorities discovered nearly 200 decaying bodies at his facility.
Jon Hallford pleaded guilty to charges of corpse abuse related to the Return to Nature Funeral Home. Authorities found 189 bodies, including children and fetuses, inside a non-refrigerated building in 2023, according to the New York Times.
The courthouse was packed with family members of the deceased. Many asked Judge Eric Bentley to impose a maximum 50-year sentence for the neglect discovered in October 2023.
“I’m a daughter whose mother was treated like yesterday’s trash and dumped in a site left to rot with hundreds of others,” Kelly Mackeen told the court. Mackeen said she asks for grace every day while dealing with her heartbreak, as reported by CBS News.
Other family members described Hallford as a “monster” and told the court they suffer from nightmares about the decomposition of their loved ones. Prosecutors said the business also provided families with fake ashes instead of their relatives’ actual remains.
Hallford apologized during the hearing. He told the court he had many chances to stop his actions and walk away but failed to do so. “My mistakes will echo for a generation,” Hallford said. “Everything I did was wrong.”
Neighbors’ complaints of a foul odor led authorities to the funeral home. Investigators found remains had been improperly stored for up to four years, according to the New York Times.
Bodies were found throughout the building, some stacked on top of each other, with insects swarming and decomposition fluid covering the floors. Authorities identified the bodies over several months using fingerprints, DNA and other methods.
Judge Bentley said the crimes tested his belief that human beings are fundamentally good. He noted that the actions of the defendant challenged that core conviction.
The funeral home specialized in “green” burials. These services typically do not use embalming chemicals or metal caskets.
Colorado law allows for green funerals, but remains must be buried within 24 hours or kept in proper refrigeration. Investigators accused Hallford of attempting to conceal the improper storage of the remains, CBS News reported.
Prosecutors argued that Hallford and his ex-wife, Carie Hallford, were motivated by greed. They said the business earned enough money to care for the bodies properly, but the owners chose not to.
Carie Hallford, who co-owned the business, has pleaded guilty to similar charges. She is currently awaiting her sentencing hearing.
At the time of the discovery, Colorado did not require funeral home operators to hold a license or degree in mortuary science. New regulatory measures have been implemented in response to the scandal.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Corpse Abuse Scandal: Funeral Home Operator Gets 40-Year Prison Sentence
Prosecutors said Jon Hallford was driven by greed when he left bodies, including children and fetuses, to decompose in piles.
By Kate Byrd
Published: February 26, 2026 6:00 am ET
Jon Hallford (via Waggoner County Sheriff’s Department)
PENROSE, CO — A Colorado funeral home co-owner was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Feb. 6 after authorities discovered nearly 200 decaying bodies at his facility.
Jon Hallford pleaded guilty to charges of corpse abuse related to the Return to Nature Funeral Home. Authorities found 189 bodies, including children and fetuses, inside a non-refrigerated building in 2023, according to the New York Times.
The courthouse was packed with family members of the deceased. Many asked Judge Eric Bentley to impose a maximum 50-year sentence for the neglect discovered in October 2023.
“I’m a daughter whose mother was treated like yesterday’s trash and dumped in a site left to rot with hundreds of others,” Kelly Mackeen told the court. Mackeen said she asks for grace every day while dealing with her heartbreak, as reported by CBS News.
Other family members described Hallford as a “monster” and told the court they suffer from nightmares about the decomposition of their loved ones. Prosecutors said the business also provided families with fake ashes instead of their relatives’ actual remains.
Hallford apologized during the hearing. He told the court he had many chances to stop his actions and walk away but failed to do so. “My mistakes will echo for a generation,” Hallford said. “Everything I did was wrong.”
Neighbors’ complaints of a foul odor led authorities to the funeral home. Investigators found remains had been improperly stored for up to four years, according to the New York Times.
Bodies were found throughout the building, some stacked on top of each other, with insects swarming and decomposition fluid covering the floors. Authorities identified the bodies over several months using fingerprints, DNA and other methods.
Judge Bentley said the crimes tested his belief that human beings are fundamentally good. He noted that the actions of the defendant challenged that core conviction.
The funeral home specialized in “green” burials. These services typically do not use embalming chemicals or metal caskets.
Colorado law allows for green funerals, but remains must be buried within 24 hours or kept in proper refrigeration. Investigators accused Hallford of attempting to conceal the improper storage of the remains, CBS News reported.
Prosecutors argued that Hallford and his ex-wife, Carie Hallford, were motivated by greed. They said the business earned enough money to care for the bodies properly, but the owners chose not to.
Carie Hallford, who co-owned the business, has pleaded guilty to similar charges. She is currently awaiting her sentencing hearing.
At the time of the discovery, Colorado did not require funeral home operators to hold a license or degree in mortuary science. New regulatory measures have been implemented in response to the scandal.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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