Colorado funeral home owners plead guilty to corpse abuse after nearly 200 bodies found decomposing

The owners of a Colorado ceremonial location accused of piling hundreds of bodies successful room-temperature conditions wrong a dilapidated gathering and giving loved ones factual alternatively of ashes person pleaded blameworthy to corpse abuse. 

Jon and Carie Hallford, who ain the Return to Nature Funeral Home successful Colorado Springs, Colorado, pleaded blameworthy to 191 counts of maltreatment of a corpse connected Friday. 

"The bodies were [lying] connected the ground, stacked connected shelves, near connected gurneys, stacked connected apical of each different oregon conscionable piled successful rooms," authoritative Rachael Powell said successful court. 

Their loved ones are "intensely and everlastingly outraged," she added. Some of the families were successful the courtroom erstwhile they pleaded guilty. 

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Jon and Carie Hallford, who ain the Return to Nature Funeral Home successful Colorado Springs, Colorado, pleaded blameworthy to 191 counts of maltreatment of a corpse connected Friday.  (Muskogee County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)

Crystina Page, whose lad died successful 2019, said extracurricular the courtroom connected Friday: "He laid successful the country of an inoperable fridge, dumped retired of his assemblage container with rats and maggots eating his look for 4 years. Now each infinitesimal that I deliberation of my son, I’m having to deliberation of Jon and Carie, and that’s not going away."

The Hallfords besides faced charges of theft, wealth laundering and forgery, which were dismissed with their plea deals. 

The mates spent $882,300 successful COVID alleviation funds connected things similar vacations, cosmetic surgery, car and tuition for their child. 

Jon Hallford could service 20 years successful situation nether the plea woody and Carie Hallford could service 15 to 20 years. 

Six radical who objected to the plea deals, calling their recommended sentences insufficient, volition get a accidental to talk earlier they’re sentenced successful April. 

Fremont County deputies defender the roadworthy starring to the Return to Nature Funeral Home successful Penrose, Colo., Oct. 5, 2023.  (Jerilee Bennett/The Gazette via AP/The Gazette via AP)

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If the justice rejects the plea deal, the lawsuit whitethorn inactive spell to trial. 

The Hallfords already pleaded blameworthy to one number of conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud successful October successful transportation with their misuse of funds. 

The accusations spell backmost to 2019 and the improperly stored bodies were discovered aft neighbors reported a stench coming from the building. 

A hearse and debris tin beryllium seen astatine the rear of the Return to Nature Funeral Home successful Penrose, Colo., Oct. 5, 2023.  (Jerilee Bennett/The Gazette via AP)

Authorities successful hazmat cogwheel recovered bodies stacked connected apical of each other, immoderate truthful decayed they couldn’t beryllium identified, and the spot was infested with bugs. 

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Following the gruesome discovery, Colorado has tightened ceremonial location regulations. 

Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner and the Associated Press contributed to this report.