Investigators uncovered shocking conditions inside a Colorado funeral home, as reported by NPR News. 

An FBI agent testified that upon entering the premises, they were met with a distressing sight of stacks of partially covered human remains, bodily fluids pooling on the floor, and an infestation of flies and maggots throughout the building. Text messages exchanged between the funeral home’s owners revealed their mounting financial debts and fears of being caught mishandling the bodies. 

A co-owner proposed disposing of the bodies by burying them in a lye-treated hole or burning them.

Almost 200 abandoned bodies, 23 were from 2019, and 61 were from 2020, including adults, infants, and fetuses, according to FBI agent Andrew Cohen. The remains were stored at room temperature in a neglected building in Penrose, a small town in the Rocky Mountains.

“It looked like something you’d like to forget but can’t,”

Cohen explained during a hearing for one of the funeral home’s co-owners.

Prosecutors found animal remains and bags of concrete at the scene. Disturbingly, some families received fake ashes instead of their loved ones’ cremated remains.

Reports of a foul smell led to the discovery of the bodies. Funeral home owners Carie and Jon Hallford were arrested in Oklahoma for allegedly fleeing Colorado to avoid prosecution.

The Hallfords are facing numerous charges, including abuse of a corpse, theft, money laundering, and forgery. The investigation is ongoing, and affected families have confirmed their worst fears.

#Clique, what are your thoughts?