Families gather to remember loved ones before demolition of Return to Nature Funeral Home in Colorado
Families gathered outside the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose on Tuesday for a ceremony before the facility was demolished. It was last fall when 190 improperly stored bodies were discovered in various states of decomposition. The remains of 18 people have yet to be identified.
Before demolition crews began the task of dismantling the facility, families of those loved ones found inside gathered for a ceremony to pay their respects.
Megan Morgan and her mother Cecilia were at the ceremony to remember Amber Haines, a daughter and sister who died a year ago, "She was beautiful and she was going to be a doctor."
It's one step closer to closure and healing for the families who gathered on Tuesday.
Keri Wirick-Pollakoff's father passed away in 2020 and his remains have yet to be identified, "I'm honestly keeping my fingers crossed that he's one of those because I just can't imagine, not knowing."
She said the day has reopened many wounds but she is hoping for closure soon, "Just being able to move on with my life. Right now it's one day at a time... it would give me a little bit of peace and I don't have that now."
The owners of Return to Nature Funeral Home, Jon Hallford and Carie Hallford, are back behind bars after they were arrested by the FBI and indicted by the federal government for allegedly defrauding customers and the government. This is the latest step in the judicial process for the couple that began when they were arrested in Oklahoma in November 2023.
In the latest indictment, the Hallfords are facing 13 counts of wire fraud and aiding and abetting and two additional counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. If convicted, they could face up to 20 years in federal prison, up to a $250,000 fine -- or a combination of the two -- up to 3 years of supervised release and they could be ordered to pay restitution.
Among the allegations are that they defrauded the government to obtain SBA loans during the pandemic by defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program, which is part of The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, obtaining $882,300.
The Hallfords are also facing hundreds of charges in connection to the Return to Nature Funeral Home including abuse of a corpse, forgery and money laundering. The investigation into the funeral home began in early October 2023 when neighbors reported a foul smell to law enforcement.
All decedents were removed from the funeral home on Oct. 13, 2023 and transported to the El Paso County Coroner's Office. In February, Gov. Jared Polis issued a second Executive Order to provide an additional $220,000 for DNA testing related to the funeral home investigation. Fremont County Coroner Randy Keller told CBS News Colorado that 17 bodies have yet to be identified.
The Environmental Protection Agency has a detailed plan for demolishing the funeral home, estimating it will take 10 days to complete the process.
