Colorado Funeral Home Owner Sentenced to 40 Years for Abusing 189 Corpses

Victims' families call defendant a 'monster' as judge decries 'unspeakable and incomprehensible' harm

Feb. 7, 2026 at 2:31pm

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A Colorado funeral home owner, Jon Hallford, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for stashing 189 decomposing bodies in a building over four years and giving grieving families fake ashes. Hallford and his former wife, Carie Hallford, pleaded guilty to nearly 200 counts of corpse abuse, with the Hallfords spending lavishly on luxury items while charging over $1,200 per customer. Victims' families described recurring nightmares and undone grieving processes, as the judge called Hallford's crimes 'unspeakable and incomprehensible'.

Why it matters

The case has sparked outrage and calls for tighter regulation of the funeral home industry, as the Hallfords were able to abuse corpses for years under lax Colorado laws. It highlights the vulnerability of grieving families and the need for stronger oversight to prevent such egregious violations of trust and dignity.

The details

Hallford stored the bodies in a building in Penrose, south of Colorado Springs, from 2019 until 2023, when authorities responded to reports of a stench. The remains, including adults, infants and fetuses, were found stacked and covered in decomposition fluid. Investigators believe the Hallfords gave families dry concrete resembling ashes. The couple also pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges for cheating the government out of nearly $900,000 in pandemic-era small business aid.

  • Hallford stored the bodies in a building in Penrose, south of Colorado Springs, from 2019 until 2023.
  • Hallford and his former wife, Carie Hallford, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to nearly 200 counts of corpse abuse.
  • Hallford was sentenced to 40 years in state prison on February 7, 2026.
  • Carie Hallford is due to be sentenced on April 24, 2026.

The players

Jon Hallford

The owner of the Return to Nature Funeral Home who was sentenced to 40 years in prison for abusing 189 corpses.

Carie Hallford

The former wife of Jon Hallford who co-owned the Return to Nature Funeral Home and is due to be sentenced on April 24, 2026.

Kelly Mackeen

A daughter whose mother's remains were handled by the Return to Nature Funeral Home.

Judge Eric Bentley

The judge who sentenced Jon Hallford to 40 years in prison, calling his crimes 'unspeakable and incomprehensible'.

Shelby Crow

The prosecutor who argued that the Hallfords' crimes were 'motivated by greed'.

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What they’re saying

“I'm a daughter whose mother was treated like yesterday's trash and dumped in a site left to rot with hundreds of others. I'm heartbroken, and I ask God every day for grace.”

— Kelly Mackeen

“It is my personal belief that every one of us, every human being, is basically good at the core, but we live in a world that tests that belief every day, and Mr. Hallford, your crimes are testing that belief.”

— Judge Eric Bentley

“I had so many chances to put a stop to everything and walk away, but I did not. My mistakes will echo for a generation. Everything I did was wrong.”

— Jon Hallford

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on April 24, 2026 whether or not to allow Carie Hallford, Jon Hallford's former wife, out on bail.

The takeaway

This case has led to calls for tighter regulation of the funeral home industry in Colorado, as the Hallfords were able to abuse corpses for years under lax laws. It highlights the need for stronger oversight to protect grieving families and ensure the dignity of the deceased.