Prosecution presents new plea deal for Jon Hallford in Return to Nature case
Celeste Springer
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) — With court set to reconvene on Friday, disgraced funeral home director Jon Hallford will need to decide whether to accept or reject a new plea deal.
Jon Hallford and his wife, Carie, are accused of leaving close to 200 bodies to stack up and decay in their funeral home, Return to Nature. The couple was also accused of giving fake cremated remains to families.
Hallford is currently facing 191 counts of abuse of a corpse.
According to an email sent to the victim’s families by the district attorney’s office, the prosecution is offering Hallford a plea deal to serve 30-50 years. A judge will need to determine the final number within that range and also decide whether the sentence will run concurrently or consecutively with his sentence for wire fraud.
Originally, Hallford and the prosecution had reached a deal for 20 years, but it was thrown out by a judge. The decision came as a relief for some families, who felt he should serve more time.
If Hallford rejects this new plea deal, the case could head to trial. It would be a gamble for him, as the court could potentially give him more time than what’s currently on the table.