CAÑON CITY, Colo. — In the coming months investigators will be piecing together the identities of 115 bodies found this week in a seemingly desolate funeral home in Penrose.

A formerly Colorado Springs-based business, The Return to Nature Funeral Home was using the building, when neighbors reported a foul smell that lead to an investigation this week.

Fremont County Sheriff Allen Cooper described the "very disturbing discovery," as a hazardous situation, requiring specialty cleanup and equipment.

"Our priority and our focus is on the impacted families," he said during a news conference held in Cañon City.

Cooper said officials will put up tents or fencing to clear out the scene, and identify the bodies. The tents and fencing is going up out of consideration of the families of the deceased.

"After the scene is made safe, and personal protective equipment is issued, dignified treatment of the deceased is our next priority," Cooper said.

Reached by The Gazette early Friday afternoon, Cecilia Converse said she had no complaints about her experience with the funeral home, which handled cremation of her daughter, 41-year-old daughter Amber Nichol Haines, who died April 16.

Return to Nature offered cremations and green funerals meaning the bodies are not embalmed and can be buried in a shroud or container made from natural materials, The Gazette reported previously.

Everyone Converse spoke to and worked with was polite, Converse said, and the services prompt.

Staff members "told me it would take three days after I filled out the paperwork for them to decide whether or not I was legally able to make the decision of what to do with her remains,” said Converse. “Three days later I had her remains."

Converse said she was still processing the macabre breaking news out of Penrose, and what it could mean.

“All I can say is ... they were very nice. It was a good experience,” she said. “Now I’m concerned whose ashes I have.”

Investigators began searching the property, located off Werner Road in Penrose, 34 miles south of Colorado Springs, on Wednesday.

Located off Highway 115, scattered businesses neighbor the modest 2,500-square-foot building with its tall, unkept grass — almost working to hide the building in plain sight.

Patrons of the post office located directly next door for the most part have paid it little attention, until the smell began wafting toward the direction of the back parking lot.

The neighbor directly behind the funeral home James Glidewell said he's never seen anyone go in or out of the building, and vehicles, a hearse and SUV, only appeared in June.

The odor has been in the air for a month, he said.

"I'd randomly smell it, but I didn't think anything of it. I thought it was just roadkill or something like that," Glidewell said.

According to Fremont County Coroner Randy Keller, County and Federal HAZMAT officials worked to complete an initial survey of the scene Wednesday night. The hazardous scene has since been declared a local disaster emergency.

Keller described the scene as "truly horrific" and would not go into detail regarding how the bodies were stored, only that they were being stored improperly.

Officials confirmed one Fremont County official was treated by paramedics on the scene for injuries resulting from the hazardous conditions present inside the property. The deputy is expected to make a full recovery.

On Wednesday, the Program Director of the Office of Funeral Home and Crematory Registration Zen Mayhugh spoke with the funeral home owner Jon Hallford after receiving reports about the smell. Hallford told the official he had a "problem" at the property and claimed he practiced taxidermy at the property, a state document said. Hallford agreed to meet later Wednesday at the property for an inspection.

The document went on to say Hallford attempted to conceal the improper storage of human remains.

Officials largely left the building early Friday afternoon ahead of a long investigation process that will involve several agencies, such as the FBI, El Paso County Coroner's Office, Douglas County Coroner's Office, The Colorado Bureau of Investigations, Colorado Governors Office Emergency Management Team and the Department of Regulatory Agencies.

Forensic fingerprint technology, dental records, and DNA will be used in identifying the remains left in the building, Keller said.

FBI special agent Mark Michalek said specialized FBI forensic units from Quantico will assist in in identifying remains as well.

Cooper did not speculate about arrests or potential charges at this time.

"The owners of the funeral home have so far been cooperative with the investigation," Cooper said.

When the business opened in 2017, it was owned by Hallford, his wife, Carie Hallford and Jack Dhooghe, The Gazette reported.

Since then the owners, Hallford and his wife Carie, have struggled with both financial and legal issues.

Records from the Fremont County Assessor's Office state that Hallfordhomes LLC, which owns Return to Nature, currently owes the county over $5,000 in property taxes. Two civil court cases have been filed in El Paso County against Return to Nature Funeral Home since the start of the year with one resulting in a default judgment against the Hallfords and their business of $18,000.

Return to Nature Funeral Home has a location in Colorado Springs at 944 Elkton Drive, and had previous locations on East Platte Avenue and Las Animas Street.

The Colorado Springs Police Department confirmed the Elkton Drive location was searched on Thursday.

"Saw nothing out of the ordinary," said Travis DeWitte, who works next door to the Return to Nature location. "Smells, that's something else."

DeWitte and several other neighboring business workers all reported a "horrific" or "putrid" smell in early September. He said he initially thought it was something in his own trash can making the smell, which he said lingered for at least a week. With recent news, he's reconsidered.

Another business park neighbor was so overwhelmed by the odor that he approached Hallford about it.

"He was back there laser engraving some wood and said that was what (the smell) was, and that he would ventilate it," said the neighbor. "It didn't smell at all like burning wood though."

The neighbor said it took a call to the landlord and some additional days for the smell to dissipate.

DeWitte said Hallford also approached him, and asked if the "wood burning" smell was bothering him.

"Seemed like an ordinary guy, " DeWitte said of Hallford.

Both DeWitte and other business park neighbors said that business had seemed slow for Return to Nature in recent weeks.

The Elkton location, in a single-story industrial building with tenant on either side, was closed Friday, a lone lamp left on in the interior. A minivan with tinted windows and an empty gurney in the back remained parked in the rear.

The types of environmental services Return to Nature was offering have been growing in popularity it recent years. But it's unclear how well many clients the business was drawing.

The Return to Nature website lists 22 obituaries with the oldest from late 2022.

The business charged $1,895 for a natural burial and graveside ceremony. The price did not include a casket or cemetery space. In one case, the funeral home made a casket for a customer out of a cardboard box and burlap, the Gazette said previously.

The price list said cremation cost $1,290 and included a biodegradable cremation urn.

The business announced on its website it was ending cremation services in July 2023.

Family members of the decedents who used the Return to Nature Funeral Home are asked to send an email to the Fremont County Sheriff's Office at 23-1941@fremontso.com.

Victims' assistance personnel were expected to respond to messages on Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will also be victim assistance personnel available at 1901 E. Main, Cañon City from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Any information on the criminal investigation can be sent to tips@fremontso.com.