NewsCrime

Actions

Return to Nature Funeral Home co-owner bonds out of federal custody Thursday

Posted at 7:19 PM, Apr 23, 2024
and last updated 2024-04-25 20:35:04-04

DENVER, Colo. — Carie Hallford, one of the co-owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home, was granted house arrest in a federal court hearing Tuesday.

In the additional bond hearing, Hallford was also granted a $10,000 conditional bond, according to our news partner The Gazette.

While Hallford was originally expected to be placed in a halfway house while waiting for her El Paso County jury trial, she will now have court-ordered GPS tracking.

KOAA News5 has a full timeline of the developing events of the Return to Nature Funeral Home.

The Gazette's Sage Kelley contributed to this report.

Background Information

Return to Nature Funeral Home came under a multi-agency investigation in October following reports of a complaint about a foul odor in the area. Investigators said they found more than 180 bodies in various states of decomposition inside the building that were not properly stored. The two were arrested in Oklahoma in November of 2023.

In what was a multi-agency clean-up effort, coroner offices and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation worked tirelessly for a couple of weeks to remove the bodies from the building before the identification process could begin.

It was not until early November that the owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home were arrested in Oklahoma. Jon and Carie Hallford were moved to El Paso County by late November where both appeared in court and had cash bonds set at $2 million.

____

News Tips
What should KOAA5 cover? Is there a story, topic, or issue we should revisit? Have a story you believe should make the light of day? Let our newsroom know with the contact form below.

____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.