Carie Hallford, seen in a photo released by the sheriff's office, confessed to cheating the U.S. government. AP
A funeral home owner in Colorado has admitted to hiding nearly 200 bodies and stealing almost $900,000. Carie Hallford ran Return to Nature Funeral Home with her husband, Jon Hallford. She pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud and now faces up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors have agreed to ask for a 15-year sentence.
This is not her first guilty plea. She had previously agreed to a deal, but the judge rejected it. A new sentencing hearing is set for December. The judge still needs to approve the latest agreement.
Families Still Want Answers
Outside the courthouse, Crystina Page spoke about the pain this has caused her. Her son David died in 2019. His body was left in a broken refrigerator for four years. She said she still doesn't know what truly happened to him.
“We still don’t know the truth of what they’ve done to us,” Page said.
Two Big Scams Revealed
The case uncovered two major scams. The first involved nearly $900,000 in pandemic relief money from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The Hallfords gave false information to get the funds.
The second scheme involved customers who paid for cremations that never happened. Instead of cremating the bodies, the couple stored them in a rundown building from 2019 to 2023. Some families were even sent dry concrete instead of ashes.
Luxury Spending With Stolen Money
The couple used the money meant for funerals on luxury items. They bought a GMC Yukon SUV, went on vacations, paid for laser body sculpting, bought jewelry, and invested in cryptocurrency.
State Charges Still Stand
In a separate case, both Hallfords face 191 state charges for corpse abuse. Jon Hallford has already pleaded guilty in that case and also in the federal fraud case. He is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
The charges include twice burying the wrong body and letting many others rot in the building.
Horrifying Discovery in Penrose
In 2023, investigators found the bodies inside a building in Penrose, two hours south of Denver. The discovery shocked grieving families. Many learned the ashes they received were not their loved ones. Their family members had been left to decay.
Investigators found the building full of bodies stacked on each other. The place was infested with insects and maggots. There was also so much fluid from the corpses that it had to be pumped out.
This case has caused deep pain for many families who trusted the Hallfords to handle their loved ones with care and dignity.
