Society horrified by discovery of decomposing bodies at Penrose Funeral Home
Motorists, cyclists, joggers, neighbors.
Thousands of people walked past the abandoned building at 31 Werner Road in Penrose every day, but no one suspected the horror that had been building up in those four walls for years.
Until early October, when Fremont County Sheriff's deputies responded to a report of a foul odor emanating from Return to Nature Funeral Home, located at that address. It was there that they discovered 190 bodies in various stages of decomposition.
Penrose Funeral Home owners John Hallford, 43, and Cari Hallford, 46, are accused of accepting payment from the families of the deceased for cremation, stacking the bodies at the Penrose facility and giving the families fake death certificates and bags of concrete powder instead of their loved ones' ashes.
They face multiple charges, including abuse of a corpse, 190 counts, each a Class 6 felony; four counts of theft, each a Class 5 felony; four counts of money laundering, each a Class 3 felony; and 61 counts of forgery, each a Class 5 felony.
Michael Allen, District Attorney for the 4th Judicial District, and his office are prosecuting the case because Return To Nature Funeral Home was located in Colorado Springs.
Once local authorities began investigating, the Fremont County Sheriff's Office immediately sought assistance from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The Fremont County Coroner's Office, the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies and the Colorado Department of Public Health were also involved early in the investigation.
Investigators, the Fremont County Coroner's Office and the Colorado Department of Regulatory Affairs issued a search warrant for the site and conducted a preliminary count.
Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper called the finding "very disturbing" and "horrific."
Governor Jared Polis has declared a natural disaster that will provide Fremont County with additional state resources.
Careful removal of the remains and hazard mitigation were the officials' first priorities when inspecting the scene.
Realizing the magnitude of the incident, the Colorado Coroner's Association, El Paso County Coroner's Office, Colorado Office of Emergency Management and Douglas County Coroner's Office were enlisted to assist and provide additional resources.
Fingerprints, dental records and possibly DNA were used to forensically identify the remains. Once the remains were identified and the families were contacted, they were transferred to various funeral homes for proper cremation and then returned to the families.
As of October 13, all of the deceased had been removed from the building and transported to the El Paso County Coroner's Office. This effort was coordinated by the Fremont County Coroner's Office with support from several organizations.
Community members, families and loved ones of victims gathered for a candlelight vigil on Oct. 14 at Penrose Park. The event was organized by the Penrose Parks and Recreation District and Sangre de Cristo Community Care with support from the entire Fremont County community. It was a place where families and loved ones could socialize and receive private bereavement counseling if they so desired.
A moment of silence was declared and "the soft flame of the candles served as a symbol of hope and resilience in the face of despair."
"May they remind us that even the smallest light can pierce the darkest night," said Kim Huffington, head nurse at Sangre de Cristo Community Care and co-organizer of the event, as she prayed for the victims and their families. "...May our collective support be a balm to their wounds."
When news of the funeral home spread across the country, various lawsuits were filed against the Hallfords, including one from Richard Lowe, a retired educator from Colorado Springs whose father, Roger, was identified as one of those improperly stored at Penrose.
According to the lawsuit, Return to Nature Funeral Home pretended to cremate Roger Lowe and returned what turned out to be ashes to Richard Lowe. Nearly three years after his death, Roger Lowe was still not cremated. Instead, "he was allowed to decompose in squalid conditions at the Penrose estate," the lawsuit states.
Richard Lowe paid the Hallfords $1,345.71 to cremate his father. They charged him another $85 as an "additional COVID fee" to "ensure Roger's remains are handled safely."
"It is outrageous that the defendants are exploiting people at their most vulnerable. Families should be able to focus on grieving for lost loved ones," Lowe states in a press release. "For nearly three years, Return to Nature Funeral Home and the Hallfords allowed my father to rot along with nearly 200 other people. I am honored to speak on behalf of my father and the other victims of this case."
When questioned by Colorado officials, "in an attempt to conceal his illegal behavior, John Hallford disclosed that he had engaged in taxidermy at Penrose Manor, claiming that the smell of decomposing flesh was related to this hobby," the lawsuit states. "The stench was too strong to ignore, and in early October 2023, law enforcement served a search warrant at Penrose Manor. The scene resembled a horror movie."
To address the identified public nuisance, the EPA team and its contractors conducted a site assessment on Nov. 15 to determine the next steps in conducting a "removal action," including demolition and disposal of building materials.
After evaluation, EPA has determined that demolition of the building is necessary to safely remove the biological and hazardous materials found in the building. The EPA has developed a work plan for the demolition of the building, which is scheduled to begin Jan. 17. Officials expect the demolition to take about 10 days, weather permitting.
The Hallfords are being held in the El Paso County Jail on $2 million cash bail each.
Preliminary hearings for John Hallford and Carey Hallford are scheduled for Jan. 4 and Jan. 11, respectively.