Story perspectives

Funeral Home Owner Withdraws Plea Amid Abuse Scandal

9/13/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Jon Hallford, a Colorado funeral home owner, withdrew his guilty plea for abusing 191 corpses after a judge rejected a plea deal.
Victims' families are advocating for a longer sentence than the proposed 20 years.
Hallford and his wife, Carie, ran a fraudulent scheme, charging for cremations but delivering concrete instead of ashes.
He also faces a separate 20-year federal sentence for fraud.
The trial is scheduled for February 9 and is expected to last a month.

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Story summary

Jon Hallford, a Colorado funeral home owner, withdrew his guilty plea for abusing 191 corpses after a judge rejected a plea deal.
Victims' families are advocating for a longer sentence than the proposed 20 years.
Hallford and his wife, Carie, ran a fraudulent scheme, charging for cremations but delivering concrete instead of ashes.
He also faces a separate 20-year federal sentence for fraud.
The trial is scheduled for February 9 and is expected to last a month.