The American funeral director who stashed 189 bodies in a dilapidated building and gave fake ashes to relatives has been sentenced to twenty years in prison. Previously, he and his wife were already ordered to pay $956 million in damages.
The bodies were discovered in October 2023. The police and FBI took action after reports of a “disgusting smell” at the building. Inside, they found 189 human remains, many in an advanced state of decomposition. The bodies were piled up and were neglected and uncooled.
Jon Hallford, owner of the Return to Nature funeral home, had for years led families to believe that their deceased loved ones had been respectfully buried or cremated. In reality, dozens of relatives received pots with fake ashes. In some cases, it later turned out that the wrong body had been buried.
According to the judiciary, it was systematic deception. The judge imposed the maximum sentence of twenty years on him on Friday, five years more than demanded. “I am so terribly sorry for my actions,” Hallford said. “I still hate myself for what I have done.”
‘Mourning process has happened to me again’
The discovery brought dozens of families into deep mourning. Many thought for years that they were scattering or keeping the ashes of their loved ones, but were now told that their loved ones had never been cremated. “The mourning process has completely happened to me again,” said one of the relatives.
Previously, a civil compensation of $956 million was awarded to 125 families. But they are not expected to ever receive that amount, about 7.6 million per family. According to their lawyers, Hallford and his wife no longer have any significant assets.
Hallford’s wife Carie is also on trial for theft, forgery and money laundering, among other things. Nothing is yet known about her sentence.
