FILE – A hearse and debris can be seen at the rear of the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colo., Oct. 5, 2023. A family filed a lawsuit Monday, Oct. 30, against the Colorado funeral home where 189 decaying bodies were found alleging that the owners, a husband and wife, allowed the remains of their loved ones and to “rot” away while they sent families fake ashes. (Jerilee Bennett/The Gazette via AP, File)
A man has sued a funeral home for allegedly giving families fake ashes while the real dead were left to decompose in a building, according to The Associated Press.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has said they found at least 189 dead bodies improperly stored at a building owned by Return to Nature, warning that the number could change as the investigation and process of identifying the victims continued.
“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.
The plaintiff in this lawsuit, Richard Law, reportedly entrusted his late father, Roger Law, to the funeral home in 2020.
The Colorado company was supposed to cremate the man, and they gave the son what were supposed to be Roger Law’s ashes.
Now it is alleged that the father was among the many bodies found in the building.
“For nearly three years, Return to Nature Funeral Home and the Hallfords [Return to Nature owners Jon and Carie Hallford] allowed my father to rot along with nearly 200 others,” Richard Law reportedly said.
“In death, these men and women deserved to be treated with respect and dignity,” plaintiff attorney Andrew Swan said. “Instead, they were defiled.”
They reportedly filed the complaint on behalf of affected families.
Other loved ones who stepped forward have cast skepticism on the so-called ashes they received. Four families who’ve spoken to The Associated Press said the material seemed like dry concrete.
One of the relatives, Tanya Wilson, told KDRO, about doing side-by-side testing in which she mixed water separately with Quikrete and the so-called ashes that supposedly belonged to her mother, Yong Anderson.
“The reaction, it looked very, very similar, the consistency and everything,” Wilson told KDRO. “Then when it dried, it dried into little tiny rocks, very, very similar. It gave me confirmation that I believe it’s concrete.”
The CBI did not immediately respond to Law&Crime regarding the nature of the ashes.
Law&Crime could not immediately reach Return to Nature; the web address attributed to their company is down, and a number linked to them is out of service.
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