Dark Secrets Behind Colorado’s “Green” Funeral Home: A Betrayal Beyond Words

What started as a seemingly simple promise of eco-friendly burials spiraled into one of the most harrowing scandals in Colorado’s funeral industry. Beneath the serene marketing and gentle reassurances of Return to Nature Funeral Home lay a nightmare few could imagine.

When a persistent, foul odor finally drew investigators inside, they uncovered a grotesque scene: nearly 200 bodies left to decay, urns stuffed with concrete instead of ashes, and a web of financial deception that stretched deep and wide.

As this shocking story unfolds, many are left asking: How did such profound betrayal remain hidden for so long? And who failed to protect the grieving families?

Jon and Carie Hallford, the Colorado couple behind the so-called “green burial” businesses in Colorado Springs and Penrose, have now pleaded guilty to 191 felony counts of corpse abuse. In El Paso County Court, the Hallfords accepted a plea deal that could see them behind bars for 15 to 20 years. Their sentencing is slated for April.