An El Paso County judge has rejected a proposed plea agreement for Jon Hallford, co-owner of the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, where 190 decomposing bodies were discovered in 2023.
As part of the deal, Hallford pleaded guilty to 190 counts of abuse of a corpse and would likely have faced a 20-year prison sentence.
However, after hearing from more than a dozen victims in court Friday who called for a harsher punishment, the judge stated he “could not accept” the agreement.
Hallford’s next court date is scheduled for September 12, when he may choose to withdraw his guilty plea and proceed to trial.
For official court updates, visit the Colorado Judicial Branch.
