MUSKOGEE COUNTY, Okla. (KXRM) — The owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home, are now being held at the Muskogee County Jail in Oklahoma following their arrests on Wednesday morning, Nov. 8. The news comes more than a month after law enforcement discovered almost 200 improperly stored bodies at the funeral home’s location in Penrose, Colorado.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation took swift action, notifying victims about the arrests of Jon and Carie Hallford in Wagoner, Oklahoma at around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

Courtesy: Muskogee County Detention Center, Jon and Carie Hallford Mugshots

Since the Return to Nature Funeral Home’s main location is in Colorado Springs, the case will be prosecuted in El Paso County by the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office (DA’s Office).

Victims of this distressing case attended a press conference, which the DA’s Office held in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies from Fremont County, the FBI, and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday. Their hope is that these arrests will bring a degree of closure to the affected families.

Crystina Page, who had entrusted the Return to Nature Funeral Home with her son, David Jaxon Page, revealed that she received her son’s remains. She scheduled a proper cremation for Wednesday morning but decided to postpone it for the news conference. Page wanted to be there when officials told the public that the people responsible for allowing her son and almost 200 others to decay in their funeral home, had been arrested.

The investigation began in October 2023 when the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a foul odor emanating from the funeral home’s facility in Penrose. A state warrant allowed authorities to search the premises, leading to the discovery of the improperly stored bodies.

“A lot of people were curious as to how this impacted my staff, and I can say unequivocally that it was a very negative impact… I hope that these arrests will bring some measure of closure to those family members that have been impacted by this event,” said Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper.

According to the DA’s Office, the Hallfords were arrested on suspicion of committing the crimes of Abuse of a Corpse, Theft, Money Laundering, and Forgery, which are all felonies. 4th Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen emphasized that they would not divulge specific details of the investigation, as the probable cause affidavit remains sealed.

DA Allen warned that the information within the affidavit is “absolutely shocking.”

The investigation is focused on the funeral home’s operations between September 2019 and September 2023. “There’s a very specific reason why we’re asking for that particular timeframe. It’s based on facts uncovered in the investigation,” said DA Allen.

Bond for the Hallfords has been set at $2 million each, and sentencing options for them range from prison to probation.

Page expressed her desire to see the Hallfords locked up and never allowed to repeat their actions. “They were speaking about the potential for probation. I think that’s absolutely absurd. I would like to see them get consecutive sentences.”

Fremont County Coroner Randy Keller provided an update on the identification process. As of Wednesday, 110 individuals have been positively identified, with 80 remaining. Identification methods include fingerprints, dental records, and medical hardware, with DNA testing being an option if needed. Keller’s team has notified or spoken with about 137 families, and 25 loved ones have been reunited with their families.

“We have had up to six teams notifying families locally across the state of Colorado and throughout the United States… I have never dealt, of course, with anything like this before with my agency,” said Keller.

Although questions arose about the timing of these arrests, DA Allen explained that the complexities surrounding the case must be considered. He stated, “In the grand scheme of things, considering the challenges that these folks just talked about to their individual officers, it’s actually was pretty quick.”

The extradition process for the Hallfords has now begun, with a judge in Oklahoma overseeing the proceedings. The first advisement in El Paso County District Court will be scheduled once the extradition process is completed.

The DA’s Office will review the case to ensure that appropriate charges are filed.

DA Allen emphasized that their number one priority is the victims and the families, and they will be sure to keep them involved in this process.

In a related development, another class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of individuals whose loved ones’ funeral arrangements were handled by Return to Nature Funeral Home. The plaintiffs in this suit are Makayla Pithan Trumbo, Haylea Higens, Patty, and Jemma Fadum, all of whom had family members identified.

A previous class action lawsuit was filed on Oct. 30 by Richard Law, a retired Colorado Springs educator, whose father, Roger, was identified as one of the 189.

Law enforcement is urging anyone who worked with the Hallfords during the specified time period of September 2019 to September 2023 to complete a victim questionnaire, which can be accessed here.

FOX21 will continue to provide updates on this story as it develops.