Return to Nature Funeral Home was owned and operated by Jon and Carie Hallford. The business was technically owned under the entity Hallfordhomes LLC and operated in Penrose, Colorado, between 2019 and 2022.

The owners marketed the facility as an eco-friendly provider of green burials. However, they became central to a major scandal when investigators discovered nearly 190 decomposing bodies stored without refrigeration at their facility. Legal proceedings revealed that the owners misrepresented their services to families and misused nearly $900,000 in pandemic relief funds.

As a result of their actions, the owners faced significant legal consequences:

  • Jon Hallford was sentenced to 20 years on federal fraud charges.
  • Carie Hallford faced 191 counts of abuse of a corpse.
  • The couple was also subject to a class-action lawsuit that resulted in a $950 million judgment for the affected families.

Related FAQs