PENROSE, Colo. — The Return to Nature Funeral Home is scheduled to be demolished according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The EPA says that after a review of the building and property, it is necessary to destroy the building to safely remove biological and hazardous materials that were found in the building. In an updated removal assessment, the EPA says that the demolition is scheduled for January of 2024, the exact date has not been released at this time.
The Return to Nature Funeral Home came under a multi-agency investigation in October following reports of a complaint about a foul odor in the area. Investigators said they found more than 150 bodies in various states of decomposition inside the building that were not properly stored.
WATCH: EL PASO COUNTY CORONER SPEAKS ABOUT CLEANUP EFFORTS
In what was a multi-agency clean-up effort, coroner offices and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation worked tirelessly for a couple of weeks to remove the bodies from the building before the identification process could begin.
It was not until early November that the owners of the Return to Nature Funeral Home were arrested in Oklahoma. Jon and Carie Hallford were moved to El Paso County by late November where both appeared in court and had cash bonds set at $2 million. The Hallfords are facing multiple of the following charges:
- abuse of a corpse
- fraud
- money laundering
Following their arrests, News5's Eleanor Sheahan spoke with families who were victims of the funeral home.
WATCH: VICTIMS OF RETURN TO NATURE SHARE WHAT OWNER'S ARRESTS MEAN TO THEM
If you have been impacted by the Return to Nature Funeral Home, the FBI has recommended grief counseling.
WATCH: GRIEF COUNSELING AVAILABLE AFTER RETURN TO NATURE FUNERAL HOME INCIDENT
The Hallfords are scheduled for their next court appearance on Tuesday, December 5th.
____
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.
