US funeral home ‘monster’ sentenced to 40 years for stashing 189 bodies

A Colorado funeral home owner who stashed 189 decomposing bodies in a building over four years and gave grieving families fake ashes was sentenced to 40 years in state prison on Friday.During the sentencing hearing, family members told Judge Eric Bentley they have had recurring nightmares about decomposing flesh and maggots since learning what happened to their loved ones.They called defendant Jon Hallford a “monster” and “vile” and had urged the judge to give him the maximum sentence of 50 years.Hallford apologised before his sentencing and said he would regret his actions for the rest of his life.His former wife, Carie Hallford, who co-owned the Return to Nature Funeral Home, is due to be sentenced April 24. She faces 25 to 35 years in prison.A hearse and debris can be seen at the rear of the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colorado on October 5, 2023. Photo: The Gazette/APBoth pleaded guilty in December to nearly 200 counts of corpse abuse under an agreement with prosecutors.