192. A sordid saga of a festering sea of death

How far can a human truly go? Is there a limit? The answer is no. 

Saying that humans can be worse than animals is a harsh judgment of animals. Animals lack the sense of judgment and act solely on instinct. Therefore, we cannot blame them for their actions. However, a human has a logical and sensitive mind capable of making decisions.

Never trust a human; they can go to any lengths. Greed has the power to drive anyone to commit a heinous crime. It happens every day. Mostly hidden, shrouded in mystery, waiting to be revealed. It’s only sometimes that a crime story comes to light, and that too so shocking that it makes us question humanity's nature.

In Penrose, a small town about two hours from Denver, Colorado, USA, Jon Hallford and his wife, Carie Hallford, established Return to Nature in 2017, a funeral home offering cremations and eco-friendly burials without embalming fluids. The Hallfords charged customers more than $1,200 each. They also received nearly $900,000 in small-business aid from the government during the pandemic. 

In 2023, investigators uncovered 189 bodies in a bug-infested squatter's building, leading to the duo's arrest. The bodies were dispersed throughout the structure, some piled on top of each other, with floors covered in bugs and decomposition fluids. The remains—comprising adults, infants, and fetuses—were kept at room temperature.

The bodies were identified over months through fingerprinting, DNA analysis, and other methods. Investigators believe the Hallfords gave families dry concrete that resembled ashes. Just imagine this unbelievable crime. These monsters stashed decaying bodies and gave grieving families fake ashes.

The morbid discovery revealed to many families that their loved ones had not been cremated and that the ashes they had spread or cherished were fake. It undid their grieving process.

Both pleaded guilty to nearly 200 counts of corpse abuse. Here is what these monsters said: Hallford expressed remorse before his sentencing: “I had numerous opportunities to stop and walk away, but I did not. My mistakes will be felt for a generation. Everything I did was wrong. I am so deeply sorry for my actions. I still hate myself for what I’ve done.”

Don’t think about what he said; look at how the monster was functioning before he was captured. In a text message, Jon Hallford mentioned handling decaying bodies before placing a dinner order. “I want to take a shower as soon as I get back because I got some people juice on me while I was making the transfer. Want the double cheeseburger, lettuce, wrapped with everything except tomatoes,” the message read.

Last week, the verdict was announced: Jon Hallford and his wife were charged with storing bodies from 2019 to 2023 and providing families with fake ashes. Jon was sentenced to 40 years in prison for his heinous and unfathomable crime. His wife has not yet been sentenced.

Several families had hired Return to Nature to cremate their relatives. Imagine the trauma of the grieving family members when they learned that their relatives’ remains were among the decaying bodies. They are heartbroken now knowing that their loved ones’ remains were not among the ashes they had spread or kept for years. 

During the years they hid bodies, the Hallfords lived extravagantly. Their expenses included buying an SUV and an Infiniti, investing $31,000 in cryptocurrency, and purchasing luxury items from stores such as Gucci and Tiffany.

Colorado surprisingly lacked any law requiring funeral home licensing. Now, Democratic state senator Dylan Roberts has proposed a bill aimed at revamping the state’s outdated funeral home regulations, which have not prevented a string of horrific incidents, including illegal body-part sales and fake ashes.

Colorado, the U.S. state renowned for its varied mountain scenery and lively cities such as Denver, offers a wide range of activities, including skiing, extensive hiking trails, distinctive large sand dunes, and snow sports. 

Big, dirty stories behind a big city are everywhere. Some come out in the open; some are hidden.