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A colorado The owner of a funeral home accused of hiding about 190 decomposing bodies in a vermin-infested building reached a settlement last year for abuse of corpses, but on Monday, family members of the deceased will argue that the 15 to 20-year sentence in the settlement is not enough.
Carrie Holford and her husband, John Holford, were the owners of Return to Nature Funeral Home and are accused of dumping bodies in a rural town building between 2019 and 2023, giving fake ashes to families and defrauding the federal government of nearly $900,000.
FamilyThose who believed they had honored the wishes of their loved ones by cremating them discovered that the remains of their son, husband or mother were not in the urn or the ashes they had ceremoniously spread, but were decomposing along with about 190 other bodies.
View inside the building in Penrose, Colorado, about a two-hour drive south denverIt was horrific, officials said. Decomposing fluid covered the floor, maggots swarmed and bodies were piled on top of each other in various states of decay – some had been there for four years.
Last year, John and Carrie Holford both pleaded guilty to 191 counts of abuse of corpses, but state District Judge Eric Bentley rejected John Holford’s plea deal in August after the victims argued the sentence was too lenient. After that, John Halford withdrew his guilty plea, and is scheduled to stand trial.
Now, Carrie Halford’s petition will face objections from victims. It is unclear whether the judge will approve or reject the deal on Monday or at a later date.
Both Holfords also admitted in federal court that they defrauded the U.S. Small Business Administration of nearly $900,000 in pandemic-era aid and collected payments from customers for cremations that the funeral home never performed. The two spent lavishly on buying a GMC Yukon, laser body sculpting, vacations, jewelry and cryptocurrency, authorities said.
After pleading guilty in federal court, John Halford was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Carrie Holford’s sentencing in the federal case is scheduled for December.