Plea deal offered to Penrose funeral home co-owners

A plea deal has been offered to the married couple who owned the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose where 190 improperly stored bodies were discovered last fall. Jon and Carie Hallford are facing hundreds of charges in Colorado 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 odor to the Fremont County Sheriff's Office. Investigators discovered 190 improperly stored bodies inside the building which was demolished earlier this year.

The couple was arrested in Oklahoma in November 2023.

The plea deal for Jon Hallford is 190 counts of abuse of a corpse, counts 71-261 with a 20-year sentence in the Department of Corrections. The deal is similar for Carie Hallford, 190 counts of abuse of a corpse, counts 71-261 with a sentence of 15-20 years in the Department of Corrections.

Prosecutors expect them to reject the deal and plead not guilty when they are scheduled for a hearing in an El Paso County courtroom. The 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office said the offers are good until Oct. 4.

Jon and Carie Hallford are also facing charges in an indictment from the federal government for allegedly defrauding customers and the government. The Hallfords have each been charged with 10 counts of wire fraud over their alleged failure to bury or cremate bodies of people, even though they received money for those services. The Hallfords have also been accused of making false statements to the U.S. Small Business Administration in their efforts to qualify for three separate loans totaling $882,300.