What is the Return to Nature Funeral Home?

Return to Nature Funeral Home was a Colorado-based facility located in Penrose, Fremont County, that became the center of a major national scandal involving funeral home negligence. Owned by Hallfordhomes LLC and operated by Carie and Jon Hallford from 2019 to 2022, the business marketed itself as a provider of low-cost, green burials, which are eco-friendly services performed without traditional embalming or caskets.

Investigations into the facility revealed extreme ethical and legal violations, including:

Inadequate Storage: Authorities discovered 189 bodies stored without refrigeration, leading to severe decomposition and insect infestations.

Fraudulent Practices: The owners allegedly provided families with fake ashes and false assurances regarding the disposition of their loved ones while misusing nearly $900,000 in pandemic relief funds.

Lack of Oversight: Although the facility operated for years, it eventually became unlicensed following a 2023 cease-and-desist order.

The scandal resulted in massive legal repercussions, including a 950 million dollar judgment in a class-action lawsuit and criminal charges for the owners ranging from corpse abuse to federal fraud. The case serves as a primary example of how a breach of fiduciary duty and failure to meet sanitation standards can lead to significant wrongful death and negligence claims.