FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The owner of a funeral home in the US state of Colorado was sentenced Friday to 40 years in state prison after hiding 189 decomposing bodies in a building for four years and delivering fake cremations to families.
During the trial, family members of the victims told Judge Erik Bentley that they have suffered from recurring nightmares of rotting bodies and maggots since learning the truth. They called the defendant, John Halford, a “monster” and asked for the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison.
Judge Bentley said Halford had caused “indescribable and incomprehensible” harm. “I believe that each of us has goodness within us, but we live in a world that tests that goodness every day. Mr Halford, your crimes severely test that goodness,” he said.
Before the sentencing, Halford apologized and said he would regret his actions for the rest of his life. "I had many opportunities to stop and walk away, but I didn't. My mistakes will affect a generation. Everything I did was wrong," he said.
The defense attorney requested a 30-year sentence, arguing that it was not a violent crime and that his client had no criminal record. However, the prosecution stressed that the main motive was greed.
Halford's ex-wife, Carrie, co-owner of Return to Nature Funeral Home, is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24 and faces a sentence of 25 to 35 years in prison. The two pleaded guilty in December to nearly 200 counts of abuse of bodies.
According to court documents, during the years when the bodies were hidden, the couple spent large sums of money on the purchase of two luxury vehicles worth over $120,000, $31,000 in cryptocurrencies, and jewelry from well-known brands such as Gucci and Tiffany & Co.
"It's clear this is a crime motivated by greed," said prosecutor Shelby Crow. She added that the couple charged clients over $1,200 for cremations, with the money spent on luxury items.
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