The sentencing for Jon Hallford, the co-owner of Return to Nature Funeral Home where the bodies of nearly 200 people were discovered in various states of decomposition in October 2023, has been delayed because the judge rejected the plea agreement.

On Friday, Aug. 22, El Paso County District Court Judge Eric Bentley rejected the plea agreement for state charges of corpse abuse, which Jon Hallford, Co-owner of the Return to Nature Funeral Home, previously pled guilty to in 2024.

The judge rejected a 20-year sentence that would have been combined with a federal case. Prosecutors said that Jon Hallford, 45, and his wife cheated grieving families while living a lavish lifestyle.