COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—The proprietors of a now-defunct funeral home in Colorado, where authorities discovered 190 decomposed human remains, have been extradited to the state to face numerous felony charges.
On Wednesday, Carie Hallford attended a District Court hearing in Colorado Springs via video link. During the hearing, District Judge Samorreyan Burney decided to keep her bail at $2 million cash, as reported by KRDO-TV. Jon Hallford’s hearing occurred on Friday, and his bail was $2 million.
Carie Hallford’s legal counsel had requested a reduction in her bail to $50,000, arguing her clean criminal record. However, Judge Burney pointed out that she faced over 250 felony charges. Both of the Halfords are charged with 190 counts of corpse abuse, more than 50 counts of forgery, five counts of theft, and four counts of money laundering, according to federal court documents.
Neither of the Halfords entered a plea during the hearings. Their subsequent court appearances are scheduled for Dec. 5. The public defender’s office, representing both Hallfords, has refrained from commenting on the case to the press.
The investigation was initiated in early October when complaints about a “repugnant smell” led to the discovery of the bodies at a Return to Nature Funeral Home branch in Penrose, located approximately 34 miles southwest of Colorado Springs.
Once the bodies were removed, it was confirmed that there were 190 sets of remains, some of which had been there for up to four years. The coroner’s office has been using fingerprints and medical records to identify the bodies and has stated that DNA testing will be utilized if necessary.
Court documents reveal that relatives were falsely informed that their loved ones had been cremated and were given materials that were not their ashes.
The Hallfords were apprehended on Nov. 8 at the residence of Jon Hallford’s father in Oklahoma, as per a federal arrest warrant that accused them of fleeing the state to evade prosecution. The federal charge was dismissed following their arrests.
Carie Hallford was admitted into the El Paso County Jail in Colorado Springs on Tuesday, and Jon Hallford was deported back to Colorado on Wednesday.