Court Reveals Horrifying Details of Return to Nature Funeral Home's Conditions
Jan 18, 12:00 PM
Previously undisclosed and deeply disturbing details about the operations of the Return to Nature Funeral Home came to light during a recent court hearing, leaving those in the El Paso County courtroom shocked and heartbroken. The hearing provided graphic evidence of the horrifying conditions discovered at the funeral home in Penrose, Colorado, back in October.
Carie Hallford, one of the funeral home's co-owners, faced a preliminary hearing on multiple felony charges related to the improper storage of nearly 200 bodies, primarily comprised of family members of victims who attended the hearing.
FBI Agent Andrew Cohen testified, revealing a harrowing picture of the 2500-square-foot facility. The facility, divided into 14 rooms labeled alphabetically, housed adult, infant, and fetus bodies. Shockingly, up to 43 bodies were found stacked in a single room, and some rooms were initially inaccessible due to the high stacking of bodies.
The evidence unveiled during the hearing depicted a horrifying scene, with commercial shelves used to store bodies, bodies strewn across the floor or placed in hospital beds. The bodies were wrapped in plastic and secured with duct tape, while some were fully exposed, dressed in clothes, or covered in mold and insects.
Lisa Ostly, whose father was identified at the funeral home, sat through the entire three-hour hearing and expressed, "It just brings all the grief back. But I owe it to my dad to see everything that I can see, to know and try to understand what happened."
The once-white/cream-colored floor of the funeral home had turned brown and red from bodily fluids, requiring investigators to place cardboard throughout the building to prevent slipping. Insects were pervasive, making some rooms appear as if the carpet was black with brown patches.
Shockingly, alongside the bodies and other items such as insect repellent, fans, and cleaning supplies, investigators discovered multiple bags of Quikrete concrete mix. This discovery led many family members to suspect that the ashes they received were actually concrete. Agent Cohen confirmed that the Hallfords had purchased over 660 pounds of Quikrete from Home Depot, as indicated in their bank records.
Agent Cohen also revealed that the issues extended beyond failed cremations. The funeral home had been tasked with burying a veteran at the Pikes Peak National Cemetery, but when the veteran's casket was exhumed, investigators found the remains of a woman wrapped in plastic bags and duct tape inside.
Disturbing texts exchanged between Carie and her husband, Jon Hallford, were presented during the hearing. In these texts, they casually discussed the bodies at Penrose Funeral Home. One text from Jon mentioned, "I want to take a shower… While I was making a transfer, I got people juice on me…," followed by a discussion about his burger order in the same text, a juxtaposition that family members found inhumane.
Surveillance footage reviewed by Agent Cohen showed the couple arriving at the funeral home in September 2023, with Jon bringing at least four plastic bags presumed to contain bodies on a cart. Text messages between the couple further revealed financial troubles and discussions about the growing issues at Penrose Funeral Home.
The shocking revelations from the court hearing shed light on the disturbing conditions and practices at the Return to Nature Funeral Home, leaving the community and the victims' families in disbelief and mourning. The legal proceedings continue as authorities seek justice for the victims and accountability for those responsible.
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Carie Hallford, one of the funeral home's co-owners, faced a preliminary hearing on multiple felony charges related to the improper storage of nearly 200 bodies, primarily comprised of family members of victims who attended the hearing.
FBI Agent Andrew Cohen testified, revealing a harrowing picture of the 2500-square-foot facility. The facility, divided into 14 rooms labeled alphabetically, housed adult, infant, and fetus bodies. Shockingly, up to 43 bodies were found stacked in a single room, and some rooms were initially inaccessible due to the high stacking of bodies.
The evidence unveiled during the hearing depicted a horrifying scene, with commercial shelves used to store bodies, bodies strewn across the floor or placed in hospital beds. The bodies were wrapped in plastic and secured with duct tape, while some were fully exposed, dressed in clothes, or covered in mold and insects.
Lisa Ostly, whose father was identified at the funeral home, sat through the entire three-hour hearing and expressed, "It just brings all the grief back. But I owe it to my dad to see everything that I can see, to know and try to understand what happened."
The once-white/cream-colored floor of the funeral home had turned brown and red from bodily fluids, requiring investigators to place cardboard throughout the building to prevent slipping. Insects were pervasive, making some rooms appear as if the carpet was black with brown patches.
Shockingly, alongside the bodies and other items such as insect repellent, fans, and cleaning supplies, investigators discovered multiple bags of Quikrete concrete mix. This discovery led many family members to suspect that the ashes they received were actually concrete. Agent Cohen confirmed that the Hallfords had purchased over 660 pounds of Quikrete from Home Depot, as indicated in their bank records.
Agent Cohen also revealed that the issues extended beyond failed cremations. The funeral home had been tasked with burying a veteran at the Pikes Peak National Cemetery, but when the veteran's casket was exhumed, investigators found the remains of a woman wrapped in plastic bags and duct tape inside.
Disturbing texts exchanged between Carie and her husband, Jon Hallford, were presented during the hearing. In these texts, they casually discussed the bodies at Penrose Funeral Home. One text from Jon mentioned, "I want to take a shower… While I was making a transfer, I got people juice on me…," followed by a discussion about his burger order in the same text, a juxtaposition that family members found inhumane.
Surveillance footage reviewed by Agent Cohen showed the couple arriving at the funeral home in September 2023, with Jon bringing at least four plastic bags presumed to contain bodies on a cart. Text messages between the couple further revealed financial troubles and discussions about the growing issues at Penrose Funeral Home.
The shocking revelations from the court hearing shed light on the disturbing conditions and practices at the Return to Nature Funeral Home, leaving the community and the victims' families in disbelief and mourning. The legal proceedings continue as authorities seek justice for the victims and accountability for those responsible.
Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj
Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK’s Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com