Co-owner of funeral home sentenced to 30 years, desecrated nearly 200 bodies
The co-owner of the funeral home "Return to Nature" in southern Colorado, Keri Holford, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for desecrating nearly 200 bodies and falsifying documents, after improperly stored remains were found at her facility, concluding what the judge called a "very emotional" process.
TL;DR
- Keri Holford sentenced to 30 years for desecrating nearly 200 bodies and document forgery.
- Bodies were improperly stored and decaying; families received wrong or mixed ashes.
- Holford also received federal prison time and must pay over $1 million in restitution.
- Her ex-husband, John Holford, received federal and state sentences totaling 60 years.
- An investigation began after a report of a foul odor, uncovering at least 190 improperly stored bodies.
- The funeral home property was demolished in 2024 after being declared a toxic waste site.