Funeral home owner accused of stashing decaying bodies expected to plead guilty in federal court
July 8, 2025
A Colorado funeral home owner accused of storing nearly 190 decomposing bodies and defrauding the government is expected to plead guilty. Carie Hallford ran Return to Nature Funeral Home and authorities say her guilty pleas are expected in August. Federal prosecutors accused her of misusing $900,000 in pandemic aid and cheating families by not performing promised cremations. They said she and husband Jon Hallford spent the money instead on luxury items including cars and cryptocurrency. Last year, Jon Hallford pleaded guilty to fraud and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Both face state charges for corpse abuse after the bodies were found decaying in 2023.
