NewsFinale
  • Home
  • News
  • Local News
  • Business
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Celeb Lifestyle
  • Crime
  • Entertainment
  • Advertise Here
Gleammour AquaFresh
NewsFinale
  • Home
  • News
  • Local News
  • Business
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Celeb Lifestyle
  • Crime
  • Entertainment
  • Advertise Here
Home Local News Colorado Funeral Director Retracts Guilty Plea in Case Involving Mishandling of 191 Bodies

Colorado Funeral Director Retracts Guilty Plea in Case Involving Mishandling of 191 Bodies

Colorado funeral director who acknowledged abusing 191 corpses withdraws guilty plea
Up next
Who is Tyler Robinson? What we know about Charlie Kirk's suspected assassin
Who is Tyler Robinson? What we know about Charlie Kirk’s suspected assassin
Published on 12 September 2025
Author
NewsFinale Journal
Share and Follow
FacebookXRedditPinterestWhatsApp


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – A Colorado funeral home owner who acknowledged abusing 191 corpses withdrew his guilty plea Friday and will go to trial, after a judge rejected a plea agreement in a rare decision.

Family members of those whose bodies were found piled up and decomposing in a building in Penrose, Colorado, want a longer state prison sentence than the 20 years in the plea agreement.

Jon Hallford and his wife, Carie, for years ran a fraudulent scheme from their Return to Nature Funeral Home while maintaining a lavish lifestyle, according to authorities. Prosecutors say they took money from customers for cremations, only to stash the bodies and give the families dry concrete resembling ashes.

Jon Hallford has already been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in a separate fraud case.

The rejection the plea agreement in the corpse abuse case followed anguished testimony during a hearing last month. A jury trial for Jon Hallford was set for Feb. 9 and is expected to last a month or longer.

The plea agreement said Hallford’s state sentence was to run concurrently with a 20-year federal sentence, meaning he could have been freed many years earlier than if the sentences had run consecutively. State District Judge Eric Bentley said he had never rejected a plea agreement in his nine years on the bench and called it an “extreme action by the court.”

A conviction for abuse of a corpse is the least serious type of felony under the law, with a possible sentence ranging from probation to a maximum of up to 18 months in prison on each count.

Carie Hallford was accused of the same crimes as her husband and pleaded guilty. She’s awaiting sentencing.

Colorado has struggled to effectively oversee funeral homes and, for many years, had some of the weakest regulations in the nation.

It’s had a slew of abuse cases, including 24 decomposing corpses discovered last month at a funeral home in Pueblo owned by the county coroner and his brother.

Investigators in the Pueblo case said this week that they had identified four of the bodies and further identifications could take a significant amount of time. No charges have been filed.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Share and Follow
FacebookXRedditPinterestWhatsApp
You May Also Like
Statesboro City Council candidates share platforms
  • Local News

Statesboro City Council Candidates Unveil Platforms Ahead of Election Day

STATESBORO, Ga. — As Election Day approaches, the spotlight in Statesboro is…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • October 31, 2025
Nvidia partners with South Korean government, companies to boost AI development
  • Local News

Nvidia Joins Forces with South Korea to Accelerate AI Innovation Through Strategic Partnerships

GYEONGJU – In a significant move to bolster South Korea’s artificial intelligence…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • October 31, 2025
'Potential terrorist attack' in Michigan thwarted: FBI
  • Local News

FBI Foils Potential Terror Plot in Michigan: Inside the Successful Operation

In a significant development over the Halloween weekend, the FBI has apprehended…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • October 31, 2025
Champaign factory that sat vacant for 2 decades to be replaced by apartment complex
  • Local News

Long-Vacant Champaign Factory to Transform into Modern Apartment Complex After 20 Years

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — A once-vacant factory site in Champaign is being…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • October 31, 2025
McDonald's 'may not be able' to provide exact change amid penny shortage, company says
  • Local News

McDonald’s Faces Potential Challenge in Providing Exact Change Due to Penny Shortage, Company Reports

(NEXSTAR) – Some McDonald’s patrons across the United States may notice a…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • October 31, 2025
TDOC leads Operation Blackout to monitor sex offenders on Halloween night
  • Local News

TDOC Launches ‘Operation Blackout’ to Ensure Safety from Sex Offenders on Halloween Night

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – This Halloween, probation and parole officers from…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • October 31, 2025
City of Danville receiving national award for Garfield Park aquatic center project
  • Local News

Danville’s Garfield Park Aquatic Center Wins Prestigious National Award: Discover the Impactful Project!

In a notable achievement, Danville, Illinois, has been nationally recognized for transforming…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • October 31, 2025
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings plans ‘announcement rally’
  • Local News

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings Set to Host ‘Announcement Rally

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Anticipation is building in Orange County as Mayor…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • October 31, 2025
ICE officer shoots illegal immigrant during Phoenix traffic stop gone wrong, both hospitalized
  • US

Phoenix Traffic Stop Turns Chaotic: ICE Officer and Immigrant Hospitalized After Shooting Incident

An officer from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and a Honduran man…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • October 31, 2025
Trump reacts to Christian massacre in Nigeria
  • Entertainment

Trump Speaks Out on Tragic Attack Against Christians in Nigeria

US President Donald Trump has addressed the recent massacre of Christians in…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • October 31, 2025
Local law enforcement talk safety plan for Halloween and weekend
  • Local News

Trick or Treat Safety: Local Law Enforcement Unveils Halloween Weekend Protection Plan

AUGUSTA, Ga. – As Halloween approaches, law enforcement on both sides of…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • October 31, 2025
City of Danville receiving national award for Garfield Park aquatic center project
  • Local News

Danville’s Garfield Park Aquatic Center Wins Prestigious National Award: Discover the Impactful Project!

In a notable achievement, Danville, Illinois, has been nationally recognized for…
  • NewsFinale Journal
  • October 31, 2025
NewsFinale Journal
  • Home
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Sitemap
  • DMCA
  • Advertise Here
  • Donate
Go to mobile version