Colorado Funeral Home owes huge sum to families after 'leaving bodies to rot'

A judgement was made in a huge class action lawsuit which calls for a Colorado funeral home to pay out nearly one billion dollars after they left bodies to rot.

Nearly 200 bodies were discovered at the Return to Nature funeral home in Penrose last year. According to the class action lawsuit that was filed by family members of the deceased, the bodies were not properly stored or cared for.

The suit accused the owners, Carie Hallford and Jon Hallford, of intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, fraud, and violating the Colorado Consumer Protection Act. According to authorities, the Halford’s took $130,000 from families for cremation and burial services that were never carried out.

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An investigation was launched by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office in October after an odor coming from the facility in Penrose led police to the site. Later in court, texts between the duo revealed their failure to properly care for the bodies, even suggesting they dig “a big hole and treat them with lye or setting them on fire.” Both were arrested in Oklahoma in November.

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On Monday, families involved in the class action were notified of a nearly $1 billion default judgment. Court records confirmed the decision. The total default judgment was $956,825,044.14 made against Hallfordhomes LLC, Return to Nature funeral home, Carie Hallford and Jon Hallford.

Neither Jon Hallford, who is in custody, nor Carie Hallford, who is out on bail, acknowledged the civil case or showed up to hearings.

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