DENVER • Shackled at the ankles and wrists, Jon Hallford — co-owner of the infamous Penrose Return to Nature Funeral home — appeared calm in federal court Friday morning as a Denver judge handed down a 20-year prison sentence, with three years of supervision, for one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, the maximum possible sentence.

Jon and Carie Hallford face both state and federal charges related to their funeral home business, which came under a multi-agency investigation after nearly 190 decomposing bodies were found in the Penrose Return to Nature Funeral Home.

The courtroom Friday was packed with victims and reporters — standing room only by the hearing’s start time.

Ahead of Judge Nina Wang’s decision on sentencing, Jon Hallford’s defense counsel requested a sentence of 120 months, or 10 years, saying he feels remorse for what he did.

The prosecution, as expected, requested the maximum sentence as agreed upon in the plea agreement. During their closing arguments, prosecutors shared more details about the investigation, specifically mentioning how dangerous it was for officials to spend any time inside the Penrose building.

Federal agents could only spend 40 minutes inside the home at a time. Camera equipment used to take crime scene photos had to be destroyed due to the exposure. Paper notes taken by investigators had to be thrown out because they reeked of the stench of decomposing bodies.

Return to Nature purgatory: At least 989 families remain without answers

Jon Hallford gave a statement as well, expressing his guilt and remorse for his actions. He apologized to his family, the victims and all the investigators and first responders “who have to live with the horrible memories of that place.”

“We opened Return to Nature to make a difference,” Jon Hallford said. “Everything just got completely out of control.”

In addition, the funeral home owner said nothing could have justified his actions.

“I am so deeply sorry for my actions, please believe me when I say this is not me,” Jon Hallford said. “Living with the guilt of my actions has destroyed my soul.”

Kailynn Page, a sister to one of the victims found inside the funeral home, said she feels “mixed” about Jon Hallford’s statements.

“It was nice to hear him apologize, even if we don’t know if it’s true,” Kailynn Page said while walking out of the courthouse. “I think it’s a huge step for him and it was nice to see a bit of remorse.”

Friday marked the beginning of the end for some of the victims, over a dozen of which gave victim impact statements ahead of Jon Hallford’s sentencing.

The October 2023 investigation into the funeral home left hundreds of families heartbroken, but they aren’t the only ones who feel traumatized from the ordeal. While nearly 190 bodies were recovered during the search warrant, more than 1,100 families used Return to Nature for cremation and burial services between November 2017 and August 2023, according to death certificates filed with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

To honor those who remain in limbo and unsure if their loved ones were buried or cremated properly, Crystina Page, whose son David’s remains were identified in the home, brought a large vase and well over 1,000 beads for her victim statement. The clattering of the beads echoed through the near-silent courtroom as Page filled the container with shaky hands as part of her statement.

The wire fraud charges stem from the Hallfords’ misuse of cremation and burial payments as well as Covid relief funds. According to the April 2024 federal indictment, the Hallfords collected “in excess of” $130,000 from victims for cremation or burial services that were never provided.

On at least two occasions, the wrong body was buried. “In a number of instances,” the Hallfords provided dry concrete mix to families instead of their loved one’s ashes, the indictment stated.

The indictment also alleged that the Hallfords provided false information to the U.S. Small Business Administration to obtain COVID relief funds totaling $882,300. The couple allegedly used those funds for personal benefit by spending the money on things such as vehicles, multiple vacations, tuition, a cosmetic medical procedure and more.

In October, the Hallfords pleaded guilty on the federal level to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, with the remaining 14 federal counts to be dismissed via a plea agreement. In March, Wang told the pair the plea agreement that would see the funeral home owners sentenced to 78 months to 15 years in prison was “not in the public’s best interest,” and added a stipulation the sentence could now exceed 15 years.

Carie Hallford opted to withdraw her plea and is set for trial in September.

It was an emotional scene inside the courtroom Friday as victims took the stand to urge Wang to give Jon Hallford the maximum sentence.

Both Cori Sperry and her son, Colton Sperry, cried while giving their statements. Cori Sperry’s mother was one of the first victims of the funeral home, her body sitting inside the Penrose location for nearly four years. She spoke about how her son fell into a deep depression and required professional mental health treatment.

“Please give Jon Hallford the longest sentence possible,” Colton Sperry urged Wang through tears. “He didn’t care about the victims or the families.”

Immediately upon finishing his speech, Colton Sperry embraces his father, who holds him tightly as he sheds a few of his own tears.

Many of the victims traveled significant distances to give their impact statement. Derrick Johnson, whose mother was identified inside the funeral home, traveled from Hawaii. He described Return to Nature as a “tomb of lies” and a “house of horror.”

“I lie awake at night wondering, was she naked? She was stacked like lumber? Was she at the bottom being crushed by strangers?” Johnson said.

“This nightmare was not a mistake, it was calculated, Jon and Carie made this their lifestyle … my mother’s cremation money likely helped pay for a cocktail.”

Wang spoke for nearly 30 minutes before delivering the sentence. She read through text messages Jon Hallford sent throughout his time with Return to Nature and highlighted specific parts of the case that were particularly gruesome. Victims in the gallery audibly gasped when Wang mentioned how Jon Hallford tried to decompose the bodies faster by leaving the door open during hot weather after the building’s air conditioning broke.

“This was no ordinary fraud case,” Wang said.

'Impossible to fully grieve:' A year after the gruesome Return to Nature discovery, the pain remains

Jon Hallford is expected to be sentenced on his state charges regarding the abuse of a corpse in late August. Carie Hallford will begin her federal trial in September, with no sentencing date announced yet for the state charges she has already pleaded guilty to.