What Happened at the Return to Nature Funeral Home?

The Return to Nature Funeral Home scandal involved a Colorado-based provider in Penrose that gained national attention in October 2023 for the extreme mishandling of human remains. Investigators discovered that the facility, owned by Carie and Jon Hallford, had improperly stored at least 189 decomposing bodies. Many of these remains were found in abhorrent conditions, stacked in a building infested with insects, with some dating back as far as 2019.

Key findings from the investigation include:

• Lack of Refrigeration: Bodies were stored without required refrigeration, leading to severe decomposition and health hazards.
• Deceptive Practices: The business marketed eco-friendly green burials but allegedly provided families with fake ashes and false assurances regarding the disposition of their loved ones.
• Financial Fraud: The owners were accused of using nearly $900,000 in pandemic relief funds to support a lavish lifestyle while abandoning the remains in their care.

Legal repercussions followed quickly, with the facility being shut down under a cease-and-desist order. The owners faced numerous criminal charges, including hundreds of counts of corpse abuse and federal fraud. Families affected by the scandal eventually secured a 950 million dollar judgment in a class-action lawsuit, though the recovery of those funds remains difficult due to the owners’ limited assets.