Page A12 july 2024 1-888-792-9315 • mymortuarycooler.com Scan QR for our website Cots not included MODEL # TR3 Triple Cot Roll-In Mortuary Cooler AMC N W FAST SHIPPING AVAILABLE ON SELECT PRODUCTS AMRA INSTRUMENTS Researched, Developed and Patented by Funeral Directors Research,Inc. visit www.amrainstruments.com for links to our Supply Chain Partners ™ ® Call 651-450-7727 to request a wholesale catalog, Our Extra-Large Cremains Bags (13” x 15”) are perfectly sized for the Standard Plastic Human Service Urn. or visit UrnBags.com to order some bags. Just $2.90 each*. * Bags sold in multiples of 10 Choose from Black, Blue, or Burgundy Just $3.20 each* Choose from Black, Blue, Burgundy, Green or Gray defense testimonies may conflict. Trial dates have not been set, as of this writing. Since 1983, funeral service regulation in Colorado has been neglectful. Several high-profile cases have come about due to this. Sunset Mesa Funeral Home selling decedent’s body parts instead of cremating them. The Legacy/Heritage/Family First cremation deceptions, run by A.J. Damiano, that continue to this day and now Return to Nature Funeral Home. On May 24, 2024, Governor Jared Polis signed House Bill 24-1335 into law covering regular funeral home inspections with enforcement authority. Bill 24-173 covers licensing for funeral directors (and related licenses-embalmers, cremationists, etc.), educational degrees, national board exams, a year apprenticeship for obtaining a license and background checks. The new legislation may give some solace to those family members whose relatives were horribly treated by Return to Nature. Mark Miller had a brother who was to be cremated by Jon Hallford. He was quoted in the Colorado Springs Gazette: “I still get sick to my stomach, I still am upset because I have to watch him walk out of here in a three-piece suit and go someplace. Hopefully we see him come back and face justice.” A new day and hope for proper and fair regulation to protect families. “When grieving a loss of a loved one the last thing a family should worry about is the trustworthiness and professionalism of those entrusted to care for the person who has passed.” —Governor Jared Polis on May 24, 2024 Observations “The beginning of demolition today hopefully marks a day of closure and the continued healing for all victims associated with this horrific event.” —Fremont County Coroner Randy Keller There is something cathartic about tearing down a structure where abominable events took place. Think Columbine High School, Marjory Stoneman Douglas School in Parkland, or the Pulse nightclub in Florida. When the excavator tore into the walls of the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose, Colorado, county officials and families of those defiled breathed a sigh of relief. There was now a little sense of closure. The closed funeral home had been where 190 bodies from a stillborn to those in their 80s, from 2019 to 2023, were found, decomposing and stacked in various parts of the building. The families that paid Carie and Jon Halford for cremations did not expect to be contacted by the Sheriff’s Department to be told that their loved one had not been cremated and what was in the urn they received was suspect. The crematory the Hallfords used sued them and refused to serve them. Return to Nature’s registration expired in November 2023. The decedents entrusted into their care lay in the funeral home, unembalmed and unrefrigerated. There were finally complaints by locals of the nauseating smell. Return to Nature advertised green burials, no embalming, and biodegradable caskets. Many of the customers though sought cremation. What many families received was an urn of concrete powder. Some families even had scattering ceremonies where they unknowingly were spreading this powder, believing it to be their special person. Later they were contacted by law enforcement to be told the remains of that person were deBy Steven Palmer composing in the funeral home. The demolition happened after The Environmental Protection Agency conducted a study of the materials and the building’s interiors. Rodent spray and disinfectant were sprayed inside before the building could be torn down. Building pieces were loaded into lined trucks to be safely disposed of. The soil surrounding the building was tested and removed by trucks to a landfill. The complaints of the odor led to the funeral home being searched on October 3. Those who entered the 2500 square foot building declined to discuss what they saw. Their findings of 190 decaying bodies tell the story. They had to use fingerprints and dental records to help with identities. The probable cause affidavit was sealed. The Hallfords were first arrested November 1 with 250 charges that include abuse of a corpse, theft, money laundering and forgery. They were found in Wagoner, Oklahoma. Some charges were for the $130,000 they received for cremations that never happened. They twice intentionally buried the wrong decedent. They were arrested again in April 2024 on federal charges. The 15 federal fraud charges include receiving $880,000 from pandemic relief money. Funds they used for personal use such as vacations, a vehicle purchase, cryptocurrency purchases, medical cosmetic procedures, jewelry from Tiffanys and school tuition. Prosecutors argued that the Hallfords were flight risks as they were found in Oklahoma as authorities were searching their funeral home. The charges could bring a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of $250,000. In order to obtain funding for the investigation, Colorado Governor Jared Pulis, issued a “verbal disaster declaration.” On June 6, El Paso County District Court Judge William Moller ruled that Carie and Jon Hallford will have two separate trials. Jon Hallford’s attorney objected to one trial as their Colorado: Despair to Hope Steven Palmer entered funeral service in 1971. He is an honors graduate of the New England Institute of Applied Arts & Sciences. He has been licensed on both coasts, he owned the Westcott Funeral Homes of Cottonwood and Camp Verde, AZ, where he remains active in operations. Steve offers his observations on current funeral service issues. He may be reached by mail at PO Box 352, Cottonwood, AZ 86326, by phone at (928)634-9566, by fax at (928)634-5156, by e-mail at steve@westcottfuneralhome.com or through his website at www.westcottfuneralhome.com or on Facebook. FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS www.NomisPublications.com Monthly Columnsonline at Annual Spring Colloquium for Foreplanners Angelpaw Introduces Integrated AI SAN DIEGO,CA— Angelpaw has announced the integration of AI for dynamic van routing and last-mile pet parent messaging. This innovation aims to enhance the efficiency of pet cremation services and improve communication with pet parents. Angelpaw utilizes advanced AI technology to optimize van routes and keep pet parents informed about the status of their beloved pets’ journeys. The system is designed to enhance efficiency and provide peace of mind through three types of routing and real-time updates. Dynamic routes for in-bound orders from telephone, ecommerce or on-demand Veterinarian partnerships are adjusted real-time and sent to both the drivers Angelpaw mobile app and the crematory administrator portal. Angelpaw GPS tracking monitors van location and based on location to order address proximity adjusts routes dynamically considering factors such as distance, new pickups/drop-offs, traffic conditions and time windows. This flexibility ensures optimal efficiency and timely deliveries. Drivers routes, pet pickups and cremains to be delivered are clearly shown. Pet parents and vets digitally sign handheld for chain of custody confirmation. Angelpaw utilizes GPS tracking to monitor vans location and improve communication with pet parents for pet home pickups and pet drop-offs. The last-mile messaging keeps pet parents informed throughout the process, providing them with updates and peace of mind during a difficult time. Angelpaw sends notifications to pet parents at key stages of the van’s journey. These updates include: Departure Notification: An email, text, and voicemail informing that the van has left the crematory. 30-Minute Alert: A notification sent when the van is approximately 30 minutes away from the destination, allowing pet parents to prepare for the arrival. Arrival Notification: A final update indicating that the van is in front of the pet parent’s location. This system not only optimizes the logistics of pet cremation services but also provides a compassionate touch by keeping pet parents informed throughout the process. Angelpaw is the global leader in cloud SaaS software that empowers pet crematoriums, aquamation centers, veterinarians and pet parents. Learn more at www.angelpaw.com. LATBORE,PA— The annual spring colloquium for Foreplanners Inc was held recently at the Isle of Glengarry Golf Links. A perfect sanctorum for the progressive consortium of independently owned western pennsylvania funeral homes, whose main objective is pre-need sales as well as membership in various conglomerate purchasing groups. The group focused their yearly discussion on the ever-changing landscape of independent funeral home ownership. board of director’s include: Jim Graziano, Graziano Funeral Home of Jeannette, PA; John Graziano, HartmanGraziano Funeral Home of Latrobe, PA; Rob Ferguson, Ferguson Funeral Home of Scottdale, PA; Ralph Galley Funeral Home of Dawson, PA; Bill Snyder, William Snyder Funeral Home of Irwin, PA; and Forgie-Snyder Funeral Home of East McKeesport, PA. For a prospectus, email the Foreplanners secretary at fergfh@verizon.net.
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