Did Jon and Carie Hallford go to jail? Curious Case of Return to Nature explained
The disturbing Return to Nature scandal is explored in the new episode of ID’sCurious Case Of… series, and it begs the question: did Jon and Carie Hallford ever go to jail for their crimes? Warning: some may find this content distressing.
Thenew documentaryseries is a spinoff toThe Curious Case of Natalia Grace, turning focus away from Grace and the Mans to explore six separate stranger-than-fiction stories.
Episode 1 dives intoBam Margeraand the controversies surrounding his former legal guardian Lima Jevremovic, while Episode 2 focused on‘The Girl Who Died Twice’, Mary Day.
Tonight (February 3), ‘The Funeral Home of Horrors’ is set to air, centering on Jon and Carie Hallford, a couple whose Return to Nature funeral home business promised eco-friendly care. In reality, they left bodies rotting in filth and gave families concrete instead of ashes.
Did Jon and Carie Hallford go to jail?
The Colorado couple haven’t been to prison yet. However, Carie Hallford, 47, is facing between 15 to 20 years in prison, while Jon Hallford, 44, faces 20 years, with their sentencing set for April 2025.
The Hallfords were the co-owners of Return to Nature Funeral Home, which operated both in the Colorado Springs area and in Penrose. However, locals reported a “foul odor” coming from the facility, and so the authorities began an investigation in October 2023.
After obtaining a search warrant, officers uncovered the remains of more than 190 dead people in various states of decomposition, dating as far back as 2019. This was shocking for the relatives, who had been led to believe that their loved ones were cremated or buried as per their wishes.
Investigators also discovered that some families were given dry concrete in place of cremated remains. The Hallfords fled to Oklahoma, but they were found and arrested in November 2023, with each facing nearly 250 charges.
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Last October, they pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The following month, they pleaded guilty to corpse abuse, with their sentencing to take place this year.
Jon and Carie Hallford’s “Return to Nature” promises eco-friendly care but leaves bodies rotting in filth and gives families concrete in place of ashes. When investigators come calling the Hallfords flee, leaving families demanding justice and answers.Watch The Curious Case Of…pic.twitter.com/i77D7BMrSN
As part of the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, CBI, and FBI’s investigation, awebpagehas been set up where victims can fill out a questionnaire to provide more information on the case.
To learn more about the shocking Return to Nature Funeral Home scandal, the new episode of The Curious Case Of… will delve into the details.
Alongside a teaser clip, ID wrote, “Jon and Carie Hallford’s ‘Return to Nature’ promises eco-friendly care but leaves bodies rotting in filth and gives families concrete in place of ashes.
“When investigators come calling the Hallfords flee, leaving families demanding justice and answers. Watch The Curious Case Of The Funeral Home Of Horrors on ID and stream on Max.”
Why did they do it?
It appears the Hallfords were motivated by money. According to the US Attorney’s Office, Carie and Jon admitted that they conspired together to defraud the US Small Business Administration of over $800,000 in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds.
NEW: We are getting our first look at jail booking photos of Return to Nature Funeral Home owners Jon and Carie Hallford. They are currently being held at the Muskogee County Jail in Oklahoma and are awaiting extradition back here to Colorado.@KRDO_13pic.twitter.com/oQxDM2zFzT
They obtained these funds under the government’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, which was set up to help small businesses recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic.
They also received an estimated $130,000 from their customers, who had paid for their loved ones’ remains to be treated in a legal manner and with respect.
As perNPR, US Attorney Tim Neff said that, instead, the funeral home “turned into a macabre and ghoulish house of horrors, where bodies were stacked like cord wood, and left to decay and decompose.”
Last August, Carie and Jon were ordered by the residing judge to pay $950 million in damages to the families whose relatives’ remains were mishandled.
How to watch The Curious Case Of The Funeral Home of Horrors
The new Curious Case Of… episode airs at 10pm ET and 9pm CT on ID on Monday, July 15, 2025.
New episodes of thetrue crimedocuseries are also available tostreamon Max, where you’re able to watch the first three episodes right now. If you’re not in the US, you can use a VPN to watch it.
For more doc news, read aboutThe Fall of Diddy, theOJ Simpson doc to watchafter Netflix’s latest release, andwhere Myka and James Stauffer are now.
