Colorado 'Green' Funeral Home Ignites Controversy, At Least 115 Decaying Bodies Found In The Property

While investigating reports of rotten odours originating from the property, Colorado officials discovered 115 bodies at a self-proclaimed 'green' funeral home.

The tragedy has aroused concerns about the practices of such unusual funeral homes as well as the necessity for more stringent regulation in the funeral business.

What Is This Incident All About?

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The foul odour permeated a dilapidated structure in a small Colorado town for days, prompting police to investigate the "green" funeral operator's storage facility.

They made a terrible find inside: at least 115 decomposing bodies. On Friday, investigators were tight-lipped about what they discovered inside the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colorado.

Still, their plans to bring in experts that typically deal with airplane catastrophes, coroners from adjacent jurisdictions, and the FBI suggested a bleak situation.

What Does The Investigation Find Out?

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Meanwhile, according to a state document, funeral parlour owner Jon Hallford attempted to conceal improper corpse storage.

According to Thursday's state suspension letter, he claimed to be performing taxidermy at the facility. According to the letter from the Colorado Office of Funeral Home and Crematory Registration, Hallford admitted to having a "problem" at the site.

The letter did not detail the taxidermy and alleged illegal storage of remains, although the facility's registration had expired in November.

Did Anyone Get Arrested In This Case?

There had been no arrests or charges. Text inquiries seeking feedback from the funeral home remained unanswered. No one at the company answered the phone, and there was no operational voicemail.

Funeral home personnel were cooperating with police as they worked to determine any criminal wrongdoing, according to Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper, who described the situation inside the building as "horrific."

A terrible, rotting odour still emanated from the back of the building, where windows had been destroyed on Friday. Coroner's officials from Fremont and surrounding El Paso counties parked their trucks outside and talked as they walked around the facility.

What Is All Needed In The Investigation?

According to Fremont County Coroner Randy Keller, some identifications would include obtaining fingerprints, locating medical or dental records, and DNA testing, which might take many months.

He stated that families will be alerted when the body is identified. Investigators have contacted family members who have utilised the funeral facility.

How Did People React Once The News Was Broke On News?

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Mary Simons, 47, couldn't help but wonder if her husband was inside the building as the news broke. Darrell Simons died of pneumonia in August, only a few months before their 13th wedding anniversary. Return to Nature Funeral Home was contracted to cremate him, but the ashes never arrived.

She remembered him proposing to her by running, sliding on his knees, and popping open a box with a rock inside, and the small pond he built with a trickle of water to calm her anxiety while sitting in the rocking chairs that Simons and her husband spent long hours in at their home in nearby Florence, Colorado.

She'd finally started to come out of her grief, she remarked. "Suddenly it's like, 'Oh my God,' I've lost him all over again," Simons cried. "It's like the grieving process is starting all over again."

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