COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Derrick Johnson buried his mother’s ashes beneath a golden dewdrop tree with purple blossoms at his home on Maui’s Haleakalā Volcano, fulfilling her wish of a final resting place looking over her grandchildren. He would soon learn that dark secrets lay hidden beneath what should have been a peaceful farewell. On February 4, 2024, while teaching an eighth-grade gym class, Johnson received a call from the FBI asking if he was the son of Ellen Lopes, which led him to uncover the scandal involving the Return to Nature funeral home.
With a growing sense of dread, he Googled the funeral home, only to be met with horrifying reports of bodies stacked high in unsanitary conditions. The Hallfords, owners of the funeral home, were accused of abusing nearly 200 corpses and giving families fake ashes. Investigators found dozens of decomposing bodies throughout the facility.
After the Hallfords confessed to defrauding families and the government out of pandemic aid, Johnson dealt with the trauma of his mother's treatment. His ordeal escalated into a struggle with PTSD as he joined others impacted by the scandal. Despite months of anguish, Johnson is determined to seek justice at the sentencing of the Hallfords, hoping that their punishment will provide him with a sense of closure. 'Justice is the part that is missing from this whole equation,' he says, reflecting on his turmoil and healing journey.
With a growing sense of dread, he Googled the funeral home, only to be met with horrifying reports of bodies stacked high in unsanitary conditions. The Hallfords, owners of the funeral home, were accused of abusing nearly 200 corpses and giving families fake ashes. Investigators found dozens of decomposing bodies throughout the facility.
After the Hallfords confessed to defrauding families and the government out of pandemic aid, Johnson dealt with the trauma of his mother's treatment. His ordeal escalated into a struggle with PTSD as he joined others impacted by the scandal. Despite months of anguish, Johnson is determined to seek justice at the sentencing of the Hallfords, hoping that their punishment will provide him with a sense of closure. 'Justice is the part that is missing from this whole equation,' he says, reflecting on his turmoil and healing journey.
