What started as a promise for a peaceful, natural farewell turned into a horrifying betrayal for many grieving families in Colorado.
Jon Hallford, owner of the Return to Nature Funeral Home, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after admitting to storing nearly 190 bodies in a rundown, bug-infested building—and worse, sending fake ashes to families who trusted him.
The Dark Reality Behind a Funeral Home’s Broken Promise
Hallford’s business offered families an eco-friendly burial option—no embalming fluids, no metal caskets, and a tree planted in a Colorado forest as a memorial.
Many paid over $1,200 for this “green” send-off, believing their loved ones were treated with respect.
But investigations revealed a grim truth: instead of proper burials or cremations, bodies were left to rot at room temperature, stacked in piles inside a decrepit building in Penrose.
Families Received Fake Ashes Made of Concrete Dust
The deception didn’t end with the bodies.
Heartbroken relatives later discovered that the ashes they had received—and in some cases scattered—were not remains at all.
Some families tested the ashes by mixing them with water, only to find the ashes hardened like cement.
In one tragic detail, court documents revealed at least two families were buried with the wrong bodies.
The Emotional Toll on Loved Ones
The emotional impact has been devastating. One victim, young Colton Sperry, spoke tearfully during the sentencing hearing about his grandmother, who had languished in that building for four years.
He described how the discovery led him into depression, nightmares, and ultimately therapy and an emotional support dog.
Other families have shared feelings of guilt and ongoing grief, unsure how to move forward after such a betrayal.
The psychological wounds run deep, compounded by the knowledge that their payments may have funded a lifestyle of luxury for the Hallfords.
Fraud, Luxury Spending, and Courtroom Drama
Federal prosecutors exposed how Jon and Carie Hallford siphoned nearly $900,000 in Covid-19 relief aid and customer payments, spending lavishly on luxury cars, designer goods, cryptocurrency, and even laser body sculpting treatments.
Despite the dark nature of the case, Hallford expressed remorse in court, admitting that his business spiraled out of control.
The sentencing judge, Nina Wang, acknowledged the unique cruelty of the case, stating, “This is not an ordinary fraud case,” and emphasizing the scale and emotional damage caused.
Investigators Describe Horrific Conditions
The FBI described scenes so gruesome that agents had to lay boards over pools of fluid to enter some rooms.
Bodies were piled so high that investigators couldn’t access certain areas.
The building was infested with maggots and smelled of decay—a fact neighbors noticed and reported before the truth emerged.
Upcoming Trials and Ongoing Investigations
Jon Hallford has been sentenced for wire fraud in federal court but faces sentencing in August for 191 counts of corpse abuse in state court.
His wife, Carie, is set to go to trial in the federal case this September and will also face her state court hearing at the same time, charged with the same counts.
A Community Left Searching for Closure
As the legal process continues, families and the community grapple with the profound violation of trust and the heartbreaking consequences.
Many hope that justice will bring some measure of peace after years of pain.