Jon Hallford, co-owner of Return to Nature Funeral Home, was sentenced Friday to 40 years in state prison for stashing 189 decomposing bodies over four years and giving grieving families fake ashes. Family members described recurring nightmares and called Hallford a “monster,” urging the judge to impose the maximum sentence.

Judge Eric Bentley said Hallford caused “unspeakable and incomprehensible” harm, though Hallford apologized and said he would regret his actions for the rest of his life. His attorney had requested a 30-year sentence, arguing the crimes were nonviolent and Hallford had no prior record.

Hallford and his former wife, Carie Hallford, pleaded guilty last December to nearly 200 counts of corpse abuse under a plea agreement. Carie Hallford faces 25 to 35 years and is scheduled for sentencing in April. The couple also admitted to federal fraud charges related to pandemic-era small business aid; Jon Hallford received a concurrent 20-year federal sentence.

During the years they stashed bodies in Penrose, south of Colorado Springs, the Hallfords spent lavishly on luxury cars, jewelry, and other high-end items while charging customers more than $1,200 per service. Investigators said bodies were stored at room temperature, stacked, and covered in decomposition fluids, while families were given dry concrete instead of actual ashes.

Among the victims was a former Army sergeant, whose remains were mistakenly substituted in a casket at a veterans’ cemetery and later reburied with full military honors. Investigators identified bodies over several months using fingerprints, DNA, and other methods.

The case prompted changes to Colorado’s funeral home regulations, granting regulators greater oversight and routine inspection authority. Public records also revealed the Hallfords missed tax payments, were evicted, and faced multiple lawsuits over unpaid bills.