Fremont County, CO – A judge on Tuesday rejected a plea agreement for Carie Hallford, one of the former owners of the Penrose funeral home where authorities discovered nearly 200 decaying bodies last year.
Hallford and her husband, Jon Hallford, were charged with 191 counts of abuse of a corpse after investigators found human remains improperly stored at the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose. Prosecutors say the couple also gave families fake cremains instead of the ashes of their loved ones.
Both Carie and Jon Hallford had pleaded guilty to the charges. However, during yesterday’s hearing, victims’ families objected to Carie Hallford’s proposed 15- to 20-year sentence, calling it too lenient given the scale of the crime.
After hearing those objections, the judge rejected the plea deal, sending the case back toward trial. Carie Hallford’s trial is tentatively scheduled for October 6, 2026.
