New details in horrifying discovery of Colorado funeral home packed with abandoned bodies

New details emerged Thursday in the horrifying discovery of nearly in a An FBI agent testified that the site contained stacks of human remains and bodily fluids on the floor that measured several inches deep. Bodies of adults, infants and fetuses were found neglected and stored at room temperature at the in Penrose, Colo., said agent Andrew Cohen, who testified spoke at a hearing for one of the business’ co owners.

Of the discovered bodies, 23 had death dates from 2019 and 61 were from 2020. The neglected building also contained animal remains and bags of packaged concrete. “It looked like something you’d like to forget but can’t,” Cohen remarked. Funeral home owners Carie and Jon Hallford allegedly sent some families fake ashes in the place of actual cremated remains, according to prosecutors.

Efforts to identify the bodies have been ongoing, involving fingerprints, dental records, medical hardware and DNA evidence, with the FBI notifying some families whose loved ones were among the neglected remains. Several dozen sets of remains are still unidentified. The married owners now face charges including about 190 counts of abuse of a corpse, five counts of theft, four counts of money laundering and over 50 counts of forgery.

They were arrested Oklahoma in November, accused of fleeing Colorado to avoid prosecution. “My one and only focus is keeping us out of jail,” stated one text message Jon Hallford allegedly typed back in 2020, which a prosecutor read aloud in court. His bail was lowered from $2 million to $100,000 during a hearing last week, but as of Thursday he remained behind bars in El Paso County jail..