A Colorado judge rejected the proposed plea deal for Return to Nature Funeral Home owner Carie Hallford, who alongside her husband is accused of storing around 191 corpses in a bug-infested building between 2019 and 2023 and giving families fake ashes. The judge deemed the 15 to 20-year recommended sentence too lenient given the emotional harm involved.
This case highlights bigger problems in the funeral industry, especially in places like Colorado where laws have not been very strict. Similar scandals with fake ashes and poor body handling have happened before, and now lawmakers are finally pushing for tougher inspections, licensing, and background checks to keep families safe.
