Colorado Funeral Home Owner's Plea Deal to be Weighed Amid Family Members' Outrage
A rural Colorado town was left reeling when nearly 190 decaying bodies were discovered in a funeral home, owned by Carie and Jon Hallford. The couple had amassed the remains of hundreds of deceased individuals, many of whom were given fake ashes or their families deceived about the location of their loved ones' final rest.
The gruesome discovery was made at Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, where bugs swarmed the premises and decomposition fluid covered the floor. The scene was a horrific testament to the couple's alleged crimes, which included piling bodies on top of each other and defrauding the federal government out of nearly $900,000.
In 2023, Carie Hallford pleaded guilty to 191 counts of corpse abuse, securing a plea deal that would net her a sentence of 15 years behind bars. However, family members of the deceased have spoken out against the deal, claiming it is far too lenient considering the severity of the crime. They argue that Jon Hallford's guilty plea was rejected by State District Judge Eric Bentley last year after victims spoke out against the sentencing, and Jon has since withdrawn his plea.
On Monday, Carie Hallford's plea deal will be scrutinized in court as family members express their outrage over what they see as an inadequate sentence. It remains to be seen whether the judge will accept or reject the deal, but one thing is certain - justice for the victims of this heinous crime must be served.
In federal court, both Hallfords admitted to defrauding the U.S. Small Business Administration out of nearly $900,000 in pandemic-era aid and bilking customers out of money for cremations they never performed. They also splurged on lavish purchases, including a GMC Yukon, laser body sculpting, vacations, jewelry, and cryptocurrency.
Carie Hallford's sentencing in the federal case is scheduled for December, adding to the mounting pressure on her to face justice for her alleged crimes.
A rural Colorado town was left reeling when nearly 190 decaying bodies were discovered in a funeral home, owned by Carie and Jon Hallford. The couple had amassed the remains of hundreds of deceased individuals, many of whom were given fake ashes or their families deceived about the location of their loved ones' final rest.
The gruesome discovery was made at Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, where bugs swarmed the premises and decomposition fluid covered the floor. The scene was a horrific testament to the couple's alleged crimes, which included piling bodies on top of each other and defrauding the federal government out of nearly $900,000.
In 2023, Carie Hallford pleaded guilty to 191 counts of corpse abuse, securing a plea deal that would net her a sentence of 15 years behind bars. However, family members of the deceased have spoken out against the deal, claiming it is far too lenient considering the severity of the crime. They argue that Jon Hallford's guilty plea was rejected by State District Judge Eric Bentley last year after victims spoke out against the sentencing, and Jon has since withdrawn his plea.
On Monday, Carie Hallford's plea deal will be scrutinized in court as family members express their outrage over what they see as an inadequate sentence. It remains to be seen whether the judge will accept or reject the deal, but one thing is certain - justice for the victims of this heinous crime must be served.
In federal court, both Hallfords admitted to defrauding the U.S. Small Business Administration out of nearly $900,000 in pandemic-era aid and bilking customers out of money for cremations they never performed. They also splurged on lavish purchases, including a GMC Yukon, laser body sculpting, vacations, jewelry, and cryptocurrency.
Carie Hallford's sentencing in the federal case is scheduled for December, adding to the mounting pressure on her to face justice for her alleged crimes.
. I mean, 15 years is barely a scratch on the timeline of how long these poor people have been suffering because of those two. It's just not enough punishment considering they basically sold fake ashes and lied to families who were trying to say goodbye to their loved ones. And let's be real, Jon's guilty plea was rejected last year because the victims spoke out against it? That's like saying "oh, we'll just give 'em a slap on the wrist" and then expecting everyone to forget about the whole thing. It doesn't sit right with me 
this is just heartbreaking... 15 years seems so short considering what they've done 
can't even imagine how traumatic it must be for the families of those victims who already lost loved ones and then had their trust shattered by these monsters 
. I mean, 15 years for 191 counts of corpse abuse? It's a joke 
. The fact that Jon Hallford withdrew his plea after victims spoke out is just another layer of corruption 
. And now Carie's deal is being scrutinized in court... what's gonna happen next? 
I mean, what's wrong with people? It's like they're taking memories of their loved ones and just tossing them aside like trash. Fake ashes? That's just cruel. And $900k in government aid? I remember when our grandparents used that money to pay off bills and feed families during the pandemic. Now it's being squandered on luxury items? It just doesn't sit right with me... 
The justice system needs to step up its game here.
No wonder the family members are speaking out against the plea deal... 15 years doesn't seem like enough considering all they did. They should've gone down harder. 
And to make matters worse, she's still getting away with almost 15 years for piling bodies on top of each other?! That's not even a blink of an eye for someone who's responsible for the deaths of so many innocent people... it's just so messed up 
.
️.
️
]
... can't make this stuff up! 
] Who tries to scam the government out of COVID aid? 
Carie Hallford, apparently 
. 15 yrs is still 15 yrs 
but fam members are FED UP 
Like, hello, priorities! Anyway, I think justice should still be served here and Carie Hallford gets the sentence she deserves... maybe 20+ years would've been more fitting.
... anyway, can we talk about how some ppl are saying Carie got off way too easy considering she was guilty of so many crimes? like 15 yrs is a pretty light sentence if u ask me 
... and now Jon's plea deal got rejected and he withdrew his plea lol what's going on with these ppl?!