Funeral home owners, Jon and Carie Hallford, pleaded guilty Friday after letting 189 bodies decay in a decrepit building, fooling the loved ones of the deceased into believing that they were cremated. The Hallfords each pleaded guilty to 191 counts of corpse abuse for the 189 decayed bodies and two instances of the wrong bodies being buried. The couple also agreed to pay restitution.
The amount they will have to pay has yet to be determined. Additional charges of theft, forgery and money laundering would be dropped under the plea agreements. The couple's plea agreements call for Jon Hallford to receive a 20-year prison sentence and Carie Hallford to get 15 to 20 years in prison.
Their sentencing is scheduled for April 18. Carie Hallford's attorney declined to comment when reached by The Associated Press. Jon Hallford, meanwhile, is represented by the public defender's office, which does not comment on cases.
Six people objected to the plea deals as they, according to prosecutors, found the length of the Hallfords' suggested sentences insufficient given the couple's conduct. Judge Eric Bentley said these six people would get to address the court before the Hallfords' sentencing. If Bentley rejects the plea deals, the Hallfords would be able to withdraw their guilty pleas and stand trial.
What Did Jon and Carie Hallford Do? Jon and Carie Hallford, the owners of Return to Nature Funeral Home, started storing bodies in a room-temperature building near Colorado Springs as early as.