- Colorado authorities have found 189 decomposing bodies inside a funeral home, and say that number could rise.
- When questioned by a state official, the funeral home's owner acknowledged there was a "problem."
Since early October, Colorado authorities have found 189 decomposing bodies inside a funeral home after receiving a report of "an abhorrent smell emanating" from the facility.
When one state official phoned the funeral home to inquire further, the owner said he "practices taxidermy" at the property, according to documents obtained from Colorado's Office of Funeral Home and Crematory Registration.
A multi-agency investigation has been ongoing for over two weeks at the Return to Nature Funeral Home, which conducts "green burials" without the use of embalming chemicals or non-biodegradable coffins. Amid the unfolding mystery, state officials have suspended Return to Nature's registration as a funeral establishment, and filed a cease and desist order for all operations at the facility.
The funeral home's owner, Jon Hallford, acknowledged to one state official that he had a "problem" at the funeral home, but failed to allow a state investigator to access the property, according to the state's suspension letter. The letter also says authorities executed a search warrant on October 4 and determined "human remains were improperly stored," without offering further details.
"Jon Hallford attempted to conceal the improper storage of human remains at the Penrose property," the letter said, accusing him of "deliberate and willful violations of the Mortuary Science Code."
The Return to Nature Funeral Home's website says bodies that are not embalmed must be "placed in a regulated temperature controlled environment, meaning under refrigeration, dry ice, etc…" within 24 hours of death.
On Tuesday, the Fremont County Sheriff's Office said the total number of dead bodies found at the property "could change," as authorities work to identify the remains and notify the decedents' families. The sheriff's office said there's no way to tell how long that process will take.
"We are conducting extensive coordination efforts as we focus on the identification of the decedents and provide notifications to ensure the families are given accurate information to prevent further victimization as they continue to grieve their loved ones," Fremont County Coroner Randy Keller said in a press release.
In addition to the Fremont County Sheriff's Office, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the FBI are both investigating the funeral home.
The Return to Nature Funeral Home did not immediately respond to a reporter's calls or texts on Thursday, and Hallford could not immediately be reached for comment.