(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The case against Jon Hallford, co-owner of Return to Nature Funeral Home, is set to proceed to trial following his preliminary hearing at the El Paso County Courthouse on Thursday, Feb. 8.
Hallford faces multiple felony charges after nearly 200 bodies were discovered improperly stored at the funeral home’s Penrose location. He was released from the El Paso County Jail on bail at the end of January, making this hearing his first appearance in court since posting.
Hallford’s arrival and departure caused a commotion as he was confronted by a barrage of inquiries from the media and victims’ family members. As he entered, Hallford was swarmed by the victim’s family members and media cameras in his face. However, he remained silent in the face of questions mainly regarding why he left those bodies to rot in that funeral home.
The focus of the hearing centered on money laundering charges against Hallford. Prosecutors presented evidence suggesting that the payments from families intended for cremating the bodies were instead used for personal purchases. Prosecutors pointed to extravagant expenditures including two luxury vehicles (a GMC Yukon and an Infiniti), cryptocurrency investments, and a $1,500 restaurant charge in Las Vegas.
An FBI special agent testified, revealing that it would have cost $57,000 to cremate all the bodies found in Penrose, approximately $300 per body. The investigator highlighted that the money Hallford spent on just the two vehicles alone could have covered the cremation costs twice over.
Despite attempts by Hallford’s attorney to argue that these purchases did not constitute money laundering, asserting that there was no evidence of an attempt to conceal assets, the judge ruled otherwise.
The judge determined that there was sufficient evidence to suggest that Hallford conducted financial transactions using proceeds believed to be from criminal activities, paving the way for the money laundering charges to proceed to trial.
Hallford’s silence persisted as he exited the courthouse, once again encountering a throng of media and victims’ family members. Accompanied by his attorneys, he walked more than two blocks through downtown Colorado Springs surrounded by cameras and bombarded with questions, until eventually arriving at the public defender’s office located at 6 North Tejon Street.
Meanwhile, many family members expressed confusion over the differing legal proceedings between Jon Hallford and his wife and co-owner, Carie Hallford. Carie Hallford’s hearing delved into graphic details of the funeral home’s operations, addressing charges including abuse of a corpse, theft, and forgery.
At a press conference held after the hearing, District Attorney Michael Allen addressed the confusion surrounding the charges, explaining that since Jon Hallford is out of custody, he is only entitled to a preliminary hearing for Class 3 felony charges and above, which only included the money laundering charge.
DA Allen said he is hoping to pair Jon and Carie Hallford as co-defendants for the trial. Additionally, he provided an update on the ongoing identification process for bodies found at the funeral home, indicating that 22 bodies remain to be identified.
The next court appearance for both Jon and Carie Hallford is scheduled for an arraignment hearing on March 21.
