The former owner of the Return to Nature Funeral Home, Jon Michael Hallford, is facing allegations that he lied to the court about his relationship to his stepchildren — and their whereabouts — in order to lower his bond from $2 million to $100,000 as he awaits trial on multiple felony charges related to the nearly 200 decomposing bodies found at his business.

Hallford, who was out on bond heading into the recent weekend, could potentially return to the El Paso County jail following prosecutor Rachel Powell’s argument that his bond should be increased if the claims of Hallford’s false testimony are proven.

Return to Nature Funeral Home co-owners back in El Paso County jail

The Gazette spoke with Hallford’s stepson and also with the young man’s biological father, who is the ex-husband of funeral home co-owner Carie Hallford. Both said the children have not lived in Colorado Springs since June 2023.

Editor’s note: Jon and Carie Hallford were back in El Paso County jail on Sunday, according to jail records.

Hallford’s stepson, 19-year-old Benjamin Morrison,  described a chaotic and abusive family life that prompted him and his 17-year-old sister to leave for his biological father’s home in Florida in June last year, months prior to the Oct. 4 discovery of the 190 improperly stored bodies at the Penrose funeral home.

Return to Nature Funeral Home case: Latest news, complete coverage

Additionally, when the siblings arrived in Florida, father Jeremy Morrison said he discovered that Jon Hallford had been sexually grooming his daughter.

“It’s always been completely about (Jon) Michael, and even saying that is an understatement,” Benjamin Morrison said. 

“Every day was different, at least regarding his attitude. Some days he would be normal, some days he would be super on edge. He would take everything personally, as a knock against him,” Benjamin Morrison added. 

Benjamin Morrison said life at home became worse leading up his high school graduation.

“It was the week before the actual day of graduation, and that’s when they broke the news to us that they needed to move ASAP,” Benjamin Morrison said.

“They were acting like the rug got pulled out from under them, they said they were having money and business troubles. I’m assuming now it had to do with the Penrose location.”

Benjamin Morrison said he and his sister spent the week leading up to his graduation packing up the Hallford residence in Colorado Springs into a storage unit and moving some items into an Airbnb the couple had rented.

“When the rest of the family showed up to my graduation, that’s where we were, in this tiny Airbnb.”

Benjamin Morrison said he and his mother spent the morning scrambling around the Airbnb and their storage unit in a last-minute attempt to locate the proper clothes for his ceremony, which were never found.

“At his graduation, my son was wearing old shoes and a tie for a belt. He just had a breakdown,”  said Jeremy Morrison. ,

“Ben just broke out in tears and said he couldn’t do it anymore (live with Jon and Carie) and asked if he could come and live with us in Florida,” said Jeremy’s partner, Nicole Wilson, who’s been in the children’s lives since 2010.

“After my graduation, I was like, I’m not going back (to Colorado), I’m going to live in Florida with my dad,” Benjamin Morrison said.

“To me, it wasn’t a hard choice. There was no way I was going back (to Colorado).”

According to the family, when the siblings arrived in Florida Jeremy Morrison discovered Jon Hallford had been sexually grooming his daughter. He has since proceeded to press charges, which was confirmed by Colorado Springs police .

The daughter had originally wanted to return to Colorado to finish high school, but ultimately decided to stay in Florida due to fear of Hallford, the family said.

Text screenshots between Jon Hallford and the girl, 17, provided by Jeremy Morrison, show a series of texts and pictures sent to the girl by Hallford. According to Jeremy Morrison, the behavior and messages began when his daughter was 15.

In one text, Jon Hallford addresses his stepdaughter as “baby,” and sends a message reading, “We can go anywhere and do anything. You know I don’t give a f***.”

“I’m trying to get you into a bar, if a friend is working, I’m waiting for a response.”

Additional text chains between Jon Hallford and his stepdaughter show shirtless images of Jon Hallford, and images of him in his underwear. On several occasions in the text conversations obtained by The Gazette, Jon Hallford comments on his stepdaughter’s body and appearance, requests her to join him in bed and “cuddle,” and keep their text conversations private, even going as far as himself labeling the relationship as inappropriate.

“We already have a pretty inappropriate relationship, which I f***ing LOVE, so yea I’d say it’s probably safe to never show anything to anyone!” a text message from Jon Hallford to his stepdaughter reads.

“He was grooming (her) to sexually abuse her,” Nicole Wilson alleged.

Colorado Springs police spokesperson Ira Cronin confirmed the case number provided to The Gazette by Jeremy Morrison to be an active case involving Jon Hallford.

According to Cronin, the case is in the process of being assigned a detective from the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, “who will continue the investigation to determine what charges should be filed.”

The Gazette attempted to reach out to the Hallford’s legal team for comment on the abuse and grooming allegations and received no response. 

Jeremy Morrison’s daughter confirmed  to The Gazette that she had received the text messages from Hallford.  

In Jon and Carie Hallford’s last court appearance on March 22, prosecutor Rachel Powell requested to readdress Jon Hallford’s bond over allegations that he lied to the court.

Powell stated that it became known to the district attorney’s office that Jon Hallford’s son was no longer enrolled in school in Colorado and was living in Oklahoma with his grandparents. She went on to argue that if the court considered the validity of the child’s school enrollment as a factor of bond, then the court should raise Jon Hallford’s bond.

Adam Steigerwald, Jon Hallford’s attorney, claimed that Powell was misinformed and that when he made that request he was referring to Hallford’s 17-year-old daughter who originally was enrolled in school in Colorado, but due to the publicity of the case she now resides and attends school in Florida.

According to Jeremy Morrison, his daughter did not leave Colorado due to the publicity of the case, but rather a fear of Jon Hallford.

“(She) chose to stay here (in Florida),” Jeremy Morrison said.

“(The defense) made it sound like Jon and Carie had made (her) leave to protect her because of the trial. (She) left to get away from Michael for her safety,” Morrison continued.

Court records obtained by The Gazette show that Carie Hallford authorized educational guardianship to Jeremy Morrison over his daughter on Sept. 5, 2023, a month before news broke of the situation at the Penrose funeral home.

According to Jeremy Morrison and Nicole Wilson, his daughter has lived with the couple in Florida, along with her brother, Benjamin, since June 2023.

Judge William Moller did not rule on raising Jon Hallford’s bond during their March 22 appearance. Rather, Moller stated he would give Steigerwald 14 days to respond to the people’s motion before determining if a new hearing on bond would be scheduled. The 14-day period lapsed on April 5.

News on whether or not a revocation hearing will be scheduled to reconsider Jon Hallford’s bond has not been announced.

Jon and Carie Hallford are scheduled to appear in court for an arraignment hearing on June 6.