(PENROSE, Colo.) — The owner of the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose where 115 improperly stored bodies were discovered was initially uncooperative with investigators, according to documents acquired by FOX21 News from the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA).
The documents state that the Return to Nature Funeral Home was owned and operated by Jon Hallford, of Hallfordhomes, LLC, which is registered in Colorado Springs. According to the documents, the Penrose property specifically was registered as a funeral home establishment by Hallford, up until Nov. 30, 2022, though the registration for the Return to Nature Funeral Home business remained active.
The Associated Press (AP) reported that the Colorado Secretary of State declared Hallfordhomes delinquent on Oct. 1, 2023, for failing to file a routine reporting form that was due at the end of July. Hallfordhomes still owes about $5,000 in 2022 property taxes on its building in Penrose, Fremont County records show.
The investigation began on or about Oct. 3, when a report was received of an “abhorrent smell” emanating from the funeral home on Werner Road in Penrose. On Oct. 4, a program director with the Office of Funeral Home and Crematory Registration spoke on the phone with Hallford, who admitted there was a “problem” at the Penrose location. He also claimed he was practicing taxidermy at the property.
Following that conversation on Oct. 4, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the funeral home and discovered that human remains were stored improperly inside.
Documents state that Hallford “attempted to conceal the improper storage of human remains” and failed to allow investigators access to the building on Oct. 5, as required by Colorado Revised Statutes.
In response to this discovery, on Oct. 5, DORA recommended that the registration for the funeral home be suspended, pending further disciplinary proceedings. DORA also issued a Cease and Desist for Return to Nature Funeral Home to practice funeral services.
The documents allege that reasonable grounds exist to accuse Hallford of “deliberate and willful violations of the Mortuary Science Code,” which dictates the lawful and responsible operation of mortuaries and crematories.
