Former Colorado funeral home owners pleaded guilty to nearly 200 charges after bodies were found improperly stored

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – After taking a federal plea deal, the former owners of a Colorado funeral home have taken a local plea deal after nearly 200 bodies were found in the wrong location.

The case gained national attention after investigators raided the Return to Nature funeral home in October 2023 in Penrose. A horrific discovery inside a funeral has left families demanding justice for the way their loved ones’ remains were treated. According to the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, there are 267 victims in the case.

John and Carrie Hallford pleaded guilty to nearly 200 counts of abuse of a corpse. Charges of money laundering and theft were dropped as part of a plea deal. In court, John admitted that he had improperly created and buried the remains. John faces up to 20 years in prison, and Carrie faces up to 15 on state charges alone.

The pair pleaded guilty last month to one count of conspiracy to commit federal wire fraud. Sentencing in the federal case is set for a future date.

This is a developing story and KKTV 11 News will provide more detailed coverage throughout the day.

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