A US funeral home dubbed Return to Nature in Penrose, Colorado, has been fined $950 million after providing grieving families with fake ashes instead of the remains of their loved ones. These totalling in 190 decaying bodies were discovered on the premises of the company, according to BBC.
The judge’s ruling in the civil case is unlikely to result in any actual payment, as the funeral home owners, Jon and Carie Hallford, were already facing severe financial difficulties. Neither attended the court hearings, with Jon Hallford currently in custody and Carie Hallford out on bail.
Crystina Page, whose son’s remains were entrusted to the funeral home in 2019, expressed frustration and anger, stating, “I’m never going to get a dime from them.” Page, who carried what she believed to be her son’s ashes for four years before his body was identified, found the Hallfords’ absence in court deeply upsetting.
The victims’ attorney, Andrew Swan, highlighted the desire for answers from the families, stating that he would have preferred the Hallfords to participate in the trial so he could question them under oath.
The civil case involves over 100 families and remains open for additional victims to come forward. The Hallfords also face numerous state and federal criminal charges, including abuse of a corpse, theft, money laundering, and forgery.
Return to Nature specialized in “green” burials, which avoid embalming fluid and use biodegradable caskets. However, the funeral home violated state regulations requiring remains to be buried within 24 hours or properly refrigerated. An investigation was launched after a foul odor from the property led to the discovery of 115 bodies in October 2023.
This scandal has prompted calls for stricter regulations in Colorado, leading to the passage of new legislation requiring licenses and mortuary science degrees for funeral home operators. These stricter regulations, however, will not come into effect until 2026.
