PENROSE, CO — The Colorado Bureau of Investigation provided updates Tuesday afternoon on an ongoing investigation into a funeral home in Penrose.
In a news release, CBI stated at least 189 bodies were removed from the Return to Nature Funeral Home, which came under a multi-agency investigation in early October. Upon initial investigation, law enforcement authorities believed there were up to 115 bodies stored improperly at the funeral home.
CBI says all of the deceased were removed from the funeral home Friday, October 13th with the help of several entities from across the state. CBI will now move to the identification process and family notification portion of the investigation.
According to authorities, the Fremont County Coroner's Office will begin family notifications over the next several days with no timeline for completion.
“We are conducting extensive coordination efforts as we focus on the identification of the decedents and provide notifications to ensure the families are given accurate information to prevent further victimization as they continue to grieve their loved ones,” said Fremont County Coroner Randy Keller.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper says his office was notified in early October about an odor coming from the funeral home on Werner Rd.
The document also said Hallford "attempted to conceal the improper storage of human remains" at the funeral home.
If you believe that you or your loved one might be a victim, you are asked to fill out this questionnaire and if you have further questions you can email them to, penrosefuneralhome@fbi.gov. If you do not use email, you can call the Fremont County hotline for families at 719-276-7421.
____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.
