DENVER (AP) — A Colorado judge is set to review new plea agreements for Carie and Jon Hallford, the former owners of Return to Nature Funeral Home, who face serious allegations of mishandling nearly 190 deceased bodies. The Hallfords, who are accused of storing the remains in a filthy, bug-infested building, previously faced plea deals proposing up to 20 years in prison, which were rejected by the judge earlier this year after the victims' family members expressed that the sentences were too lenient.

Family members of the deceased are expected to demonstrate their opposition to the latest plea agreements during the hearing scheduled in Colorado Springs. A representative of the families, Crystina Page, whose son’s remains were among those found, emphasized the significance of accountability in this case, stating, “This case is not about convenience or efficiency. It is about human beings who were treated as disposable. Accepting a plea agreement sends the message that this level of abuse is negotiable. We reject that message."

The new plea agreements propose a sentence of 30 to 50 years for Jon Hallford and between 25 to 35 years for Carie Hallford. In contrast, the victims’ family members are advocating for a sentence of 191 years each, equating to one year for every victim involved. The Hallfords are currently facing 191 counts of corpse abuse stemming from their actions between 2019 and 2023, which included disposing of bodies and presenting fake ashes to grieving families.

Initially, Jon Hallford's plea deal was rejected in August, leading him to withdraw his guilty plea. Simultaneously, Carie Hallford also retracted her plea in November after the judge, Eric Bentley, dismissed it. However, on December 16, prosecutors revealed that both had entered new guilty pleas separately. If the judge approves the new deals, Jon Hallford would be sentenced in early February, while Carie Hallford would face sentencing in late April.

Authorities found the bodies, described as stacked on top of each other in various stages of decay, during a shocking discovery in Penrose, Colorado, around a two-hour drive south of Denver. Investigators reported that some of the remains had been in storage for as long as four years.

While Jon Hallford has been accused of the physical act of disposing of the bodies, Carie Hallford was more actively engaged in front-facing operations at the funeral home. In a hearing held in November, Judge Bentley expressed that he placed great importance on deterrence when he rejected the previous plea agreements, highlighting Colorado's historically weak regulations surrounding the funeral home industry, which have often resulted in cases of fraud and abuse.

Following the Hallford case, there have been calls for reform in the industry, including routine inspections to prevent similar incidents. Further disturbing revelations came to light in August, when authorities found 24 decomposing corpses behind a hidden door in another funeral home owned by the county coroner in Pueblo, Colorado. Investigations are ongoing, and officials have reported slow progress in identifying some corpses that have remained unclaimed for over a decade.

Additionally, the Hallfords have confessed in federal court to defrauding the U.S. Small Business Administration of nearly $900,000 in aid intended for businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The couple also accepted payments from families for cremations that were never carried out, further deepening the violations associated with their funeral home operations.