(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The owners of Return to Nature Funeral Home, where 190 decomposing bodies were found earlier this year, made a court appearance in El Paso County on Tuesday, Dec. 5. This hearing drew in dozens of grieving family members, who wanted to see Jon and Carie Hallford with their own eyes.
The Hallfords appeared in orange jumpsuits around 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday. For many of the families who attended, it was either their first time seeing the Hallfords, or the first time since entrusting them with the cremation of their loved ones.
“I just had to see them,” said Mary Simmons, whose husband was identified at the funeral home.
The gravity of the occasion was palpable, as Abby Swoveland, another family member impacted by the funeral home’s actions, expressed: “I had to show up in person. I had to do it for my mom.”
As the hearing commenced, over 70 others joined remotely via Web-Ex, magnifying the collective outcry for accountability. Families held up pictures of their lost loved ones, when Jon and Carie Hallford walked in the courtroom, aiming to confront them with the faces and memories of those they allegedly mistreated.
“I think everyone just wanted their loved one to be there and know that they’re being fought for and they’re worthy, and we will continue to fight for them,” said Swoveland, holding a cherished photo of her mother.
While the victims say the Hallfords have consumed their thoughts for the past few months, seeing them in person sent chills down their spines.
“When I saw them, flashes of my husband’s body rotten, kind of went through my head,” Simmons painfully recounted.
For Crystina Page, whose son was identified at the funeral home, the sight of the Hallfords was like encountering “the monster of our nightmares,” calling their actions a grievous violation of trust.
The brief hearing determined the schedule for the Hallfords’ preliminary hearings, slated for January. Despite the prolonged legal process anticipated, many of the victims voiced readiness for the journey ahead, acknowledging the potential for years of legal proceedings.
Amid the emotions from Tuesday, families found solace in their shared plight, saying they have formed an unbreakable bond forged in grief.
“That’s really the only positive that has come out of this horrible situation, is that we family members have found each other,” said Swoveland, highlighting the solidarity born from shared anguish.
As the legal saga unfolds, the victims’ families vowed to stand united, offering unwavering support for one another. “We’re family now. We’re family. We’re there to support each other,” Simmons said.
At Jon Hallford’s last court hearing, an El Paso County Judge informed him he could be facing more than 250 charges. The upcoming preliminary hearings are scheduled for Jan. 4 for Jon and Jan 11 for Carie.
FOX21 will continue to bring you information and updates on this story as it develops.
