Derrick Johnson discovered that what he believed were his mother’s ashes buried under a tree in Hawaii were not what they seemed, as the FBI informed him that his mother was among 189 bodies found in a Colorado funeral home. The couple operating the Return to Nature funeral home, Jon and Carie Hallford, had neglected the bodies, which had been accumulating between 2019 and October 2023, storing them in a facility without proper refrigeration. Many of the corpses had decayed over several years, creating an unbearable smell that misled neighbors into believing the source was a septic tank.

Investigations revealed that the Hallfords had been misleading grieving families by providing them with false ashes, allegedly created by mixing cement to mimic the appearance of cremated remains. In heartbreaking testimonies, families like Johnson's expressed their deep betrayal, highlighting the emotional trauma caused by the deception. Reports indicate that the funeral home operated under a facade of legality, while in reality, it engaged in severely unethical and illegal practices.

Alongside the mistreatment of bodies, the Hallfords are also accused of stealing nearly $900,000 in payments meant for cremation services. This case has raised major concerns about the oversight and regulations pertaining to funeral homes, emphasizing the need for stricter control measures to prevent such neglect and exploitation of bereaved families in the future.