Current:Home > MyColorado funeral home owners arrested following the discovery of 189 decaying bodies -WealthX
Colorado funeral home owners arrested following the discovery of 189 decaying bodies
View
Date:2025-04-12 19:53:09
The owners of a Colorado funeral home were arrested Wednesday after nearly 200 decaying corpses were found improperly stored at their facility.
Jon and Carie Hallford, the owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home, were arrested on charges of abusing a corpse, theft, money laundering and forgery, according to a statement from the district attorney for Colorado's 4th judicial district. The pair were taken into custody in Wagoner, Okla.
Police first searched the funeral home, located roughly 30 miles south of Colorado Springs in the town of Penrose, on Oct. 3, after receiving a report of an "abhorrent smell" coming from the building.
What they found inside was "horrific," according to Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper, who declined to go into further detail during an Oct. 6 press conference on the investigation.
According to its website, Return to Nature offers green and natural burial services, which allow bodies to decompose underground without the use of metal caskets or chemicals.
The practice is legal in the state of Colorado, but the law requires bodies that are not embalmed to be refrigerated within 24 hours of death.
Fremont County Coroner Randy Keller declined to say whether the remains discovered at Return to Nature were intended for natural burial, but he did note that they were "improperly stored."
Investigators originally estimated the 2,500-square-foot building contained about 115 bodies.
But after transporting all remains to the El Paso County Coroner's Office, they've raised that number to 189 individuals, according to a Tuesday update from the Fremont County Sheriff's office. The total number could rise as the identification process continues, the coroner said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
veryGood! (5)
Related
- Could your smelly farts help science?
- Republican lawmakers are backing dozens of bills targeting diversity efforts on campus and elsewhere
- San Francisco 49ers Wife Kristin Juszczyk Shares Tips to Rework Your Game Day Wardrobe
- Paris 2024 Olympics medals unveiled, each with a little piece of the Eiffel Tower right in the middle
- Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
- Coronavirus FAQ: I'm immunocompromised. Will pills, gargles and sprays fend off COVID?
- Kevin Harlan, Olivia Harlan Dekker make Super Bowl 58 a family affair with historic broadcast feat
- Arizona gallery owner won’t be charged in racist rant against Native American dancers
- Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
- Why a State-Led Coalition to Install More Heat Pumps Is a Big Deal for Climate Change
Ranking
- Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
- Military names 5 Marines killed in helicopter crash in California mountains. All were in their 20s.
- Hawaii Supreme Court quotes The Wire in ruling on gun rights: The thing about the old days, they the old days
- Taylor Swift fan proposes to his girlfriend during 'Love Story' performance in Tokyo
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- Falcons owner: Bill Belichick didn't ask for full control of team, wasn't offered job
- The 2024 Super Bowl is expected to obliterate betting records
- 'That level of violence is terrifying': Mexican cartel targets tranquil Puget Sound city
Recommendation
Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
Bill O'Brien leaves Ohio State football for head coaching job at Boston College
Prince Harry Makes Surprise Appearance at NFL Honors After Visit With King Charles III
Feds offer up to $10 million reward for info on Hive ransomware hackers
Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
Horoscopes Today, February 9, 2024
Costco, Trader Joe's and Walmart products made with cheese linked to deadly listeria outbreak
Phil is forever, but his wives are not: Groundhog heartbreak is captivating millions on the internet