Nationwide — The owners of a Colorado funeral home have been ordered to pay a judgment potentially exceeding $1 billion after being accused of failing to cremate or bury human remains despite being paid to do so. According to CNN, Judge Lynette Wenner of the Fremont County District Court issued a judgment exceeding $956 million against Carie Hallford and Jon Hallford, proprietors of the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colorado. They stand accused of mishandling 190 sets of human remains, according to court records.
The Hallfords did not respond to the lawsuit, leading to a default judgment. The judgment, as stated by attorney Andrew Swan, who represented the plaintiffs in the class action, could surpass $1 billion with accumulated interest. Each family in the lawsuit was awarded over $7 million, making it potentially the largest monetary judgment in Colorado’s history. However, Swan expressed doubt that the Hallfords would be able to pay this amount.
Alongside the civil judgment, the Hallfords are facing both federal and state charges. A state investigation was initiated in 2023 following complaints of a foul odor from the funeral home, which specialized in “green burials.” Authorities discovered improperly stored human remains at the site, leading to multiple charges against the Hallfords, including 190 counts of abuse of a corpse, theft, money laundering, and forgery.
Earlier this year, a federal grand jury indicted the Hallfords on charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. The federal indictment alleges that the couple defrauded their clients by failing to provide the promised cremation or burial services and misused $882,300 in pandemic relief loans. The Hallfords have pleaded not guilty to these charges.
Attorneys for the Hallfords have either declined to comment or maintained the policy of not commenting on ongoing cases. The Hallfords were reportedly arrested by the Colorado Bureau of Investigations last year, with the investigation revealing attempts to hide the mishandling of bodies by restricting access to their building and providing false information about the foul odor and their activities.
Judge Wenner, in her class action judgment, remarked that the defendants’ actions were “willful and wanton,” justifying the exemplary damages awarded to the families. Swan, whose firm handled the case pro bono, expressed that the judgment represents a form of righteous justice and serves as a warning against such misconduct in the future.
In his letter to the families, Swan emphasized that the judgment aims to validate the experiences and pain suffered by the families, while also discouraging future malfeasance by others in the industry.
Source: BlackNews.com
