Colorado funeral home owners plead guilty in case involving 190 decomposing bodies

The owners of the Penrose funeral home, accused of improperly storing 190 decomposed bodies at their business while promising families that their loved ones would be cremated or buried, pleaded guilty to state charges Friday.

In separate plea agreements, Jon and Carie Hallford each admitted to 190 counts of abuse of a corpse during a joint hearing in El Paso County District Court. Jon Halford, 44, agreed to be sentenced to 20 years in prison as part of the deal. Carie Halford, 48, faces 15 to 20 years in prison, to be determined by El Paso County District Court Judge Eric Bentley.

The judge said he will impose sentencing on April 18 if he decides to formally accept the plea agreements.

Court records show the couple initially faced more than 200 felony charges for mishandling corpses, theft, money laundering and forgery. Under a plea agreement, all other charges against the owners were dismissed.

In court on Friday, Jon Hallford said he “knowingly treated the bodies or remains of 190 people in a way that violated normal family sensitivities” by not properly cremating or storing the bodies he received from families.

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