Relatives watch as the Colorado funeral owners accused of mishandling 190 remains appear in court

By JESSE BEDAYN and MEAD GRUVER
Associated Press/Report for America

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Relatives who knew or feared their loved ones were among the 190 abandoned bodies found decomposing in a Colorado funeral home watched in person for the first time as the owners of the business appeared before a judge. Jon and Carie Halford are accused of abusing corpses, stealing, laundering money and forging documents. Investigators discovered dozens of stacked bodies in a funeral home facility in Penrose, Colorado, in October. Some remains had death dates as far back as 2019. The Hallfords were arrested in Oklahoma and appeared in court Tuesday in Colorado Springs. They face charges including dozens of counts of abuse of a corpse. Attorneys for the Hallfords declined comment.