Current:Home > ScamsColorado funeral home owners arrested following the discovery of 189 decaying bodies-LoTradeCoin
Colorado funeral home owners arrested following the discovery of 189 decaying bodies
lotradecoin spot trading tutorial View Date:2024-12-25 12:44:41
The owners of a Colorado funeral home were arrested Wednesday after nearly 200 decaying corpses were found improperly stored at their facility.
Jon and Carie Hallford, the owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home, were arrested on charges of abusing a corpse, theft, money laundering and forgery, according to a statement from the district attorney for Colorado's 4th judicial district. The pair were taken into custody in Wagoner, Okla.
Police first searched the funeral home, located roughly 30 miles south of Colorado Springs in the town of Penrose, on Oct. 3, after receiving a report of an "abhorrent smell" coming from the building.
What they found inside was "horrific," according to Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper, who declined to go into further detail during an Oct. 6 press conference on the investigation.
According to its website, Return to Nature offers green and natural burial services, which allow bodies to decompose underground without the use of metal caskets or chemicals.
The practice is legal in the state of Colorado, but the law requires bodies that are not embalmed to be refrigerated within 24 hours of death.
Fremont County Coroner Randy Keller declined to say whether the remains discovered at Return to Nature were intended for natural burial, but he did note that they were "improperly stored."
Investigators originally estimated the 2,500-square-foot building contained about 115 bodies.
But after transporting all remains to the El Paso County Coroner's Office, they've raised that number to 189 individuals, according to a Tuesday update from the Fremont County Sheriff's office. The total number could rise as the identification process continues, the coroner said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
veryGood! (8584)
Related
- This house from 'Home Alone' is for sale. No, not that one.
- The most popular 2024 Halloween costumes for adults, kids and pets, according to Google
- NCAA cracking down on weapon gestures toward opponents in college football
- Airlines say they’re capping fares in the hurricane’s path as Biden warns against price gouging
- Save 30% on the Perfect Spongelle Holiday Gifts That Make Every Day a Spa Day
- Allyson Felix launches women-focused sports management firm
- Padres warn fans about abusive behavior ahead of NLDS Game 3 against Dodgers
- How AP uses expected vote instead of ‘precincts reporting’ when determining a winner
- Atmospheric river and potential bomb cyclone bring chaotic winter weather to East Coast
- Angel Dreamer Wealth Society: Insight into Market Trends, Mastering the Future of Wealth
Ranking
- Amazon's Thank My Driver feature returns: How to give a free $5 tip after delivery
- Will the polls be right in 2024? What polling on the presidential race can and can’t tell you
- Researchers say poverty and unemployment are up in Lahaina after last year’s wildfires
- October Prime Day 2024 Sell-Out Risks: 24 Best Deals from Crest, Laneige & More You Really Need to Grab
- Taxpayers could get $500 'inflation refund' checks under New York proposal: What to know
- Tampa mayor’s warning to residents who don’t evacuate for Milton: 'You are going to die'
- Shop Amazon's October Prime Day 2024 Best Kitchen Deals & Save Up to 78% on KitchenAid, Ninja & More
- Justin Timberlake Suffers Injury and Cancels New Jersey Concert
Recommendation
-
Save 30% on the Perfect Spongelle Holiday Gifts That Make Every Day a Spa Day
-
How a poll can represent your opinion even if you weren’t contacted for it
-
Disputes over access to the vote intensify as Ohioans begin to cast ballots
-
Firefighters still on hand more than a week after start of trash fire in Maine
-
Lil Durk suspected of funding a 2022 murder as he seeks jail release in separate case
-
Callable CDs are great, until the bank wants it back. What to do if that happens.
-
Robert Saleh was reportedly 'blindsided' by being fired as Jets head coach
-
Airlines say they’re capping fares in the hurricane’s path as Biden warns against price gouging