Breaking News: Funeral Home Owners Ordered to Pay Over $1 Billion Judgment

The owners of a funeral home in Colorado have been ordered to pay a judgment that could exceed $1 billion after mishandling 190 sets of human remains, court documents reveal.

Judge Lynette Wenner of the Fremont County District Court entered a judgment of more than $956 million against Carie Hallford and Jon Hallford, the owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colorado.

The defendants did not respond to the lawsuit, resulting in a default judgment. Each family member in the class action lawsuit was awarded more than $7 million, making it the largest monetary judgment in Colorado's history.

Despite the large judgment amount, it is unlikely the families will collect that full amount from the Hallfords, who are also facing federal and state charges.

Investigation and Charges

A state investigation began in 2023 after reports of a foul odor coming from the funeral home. The Hallfords were arrested on 190 counts of abuse of a corpse, theft, money laundering, and forgery.

A federal grand jury later indicted them on charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, alleging they defrauded customers by not providing promised cremations or burials and misusing pandemic relief funds.

The judgment in the class action case found that the defendants acted willfully and wantonly, entitling the families to exemplary damages.

Legal Response

The attorney for Carie Hallford declined to comment on the judgment, while Jon Hallford's attorney did not respond to requests for comment. Prosecutors stated that the Hallfords took extreme measures to conceal their actions, leading to the judgment against them.

What do you think?

• Do you believe the judgment amount is justified?
• Should the Hallfords face additional penalties?
• How can cases like this be prevented in the future?