Sauder Schelkopf and Bochetto & Lentz filed a class action lawsuit in El Paso County on behalf of individuals whose loved ones’ funeral arrangements were handled by Return to Nature Funeral Home based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. [Trumbo, Makayla, et al v. Hallfordhomes LLC et al, Case#023CV032110 (filed on November 2, 2023)].
“We look forward to litigating this case on behalf of our clients, whose loved ones’ remains were entrusted to Return to Nature Funeral Homes. Return to Nature failed them, their families, and anyone whose loved one’s memory has been dishonored by this horrific discovery,” said attorneys Joe Sauder of Sauder Schelkopf and Bryan Lentz of Bochetto & Lentz.
On Oct. 17, 2023, The Denver Post reported in part:
Law enforcement officials have recovered at least 189 bodies from a southern Colorado funeral home specializing in green burials and cremations, a significant uptick as authorities sift through the shuttered facility.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday revised initial numbers from its investigation into the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose. Authorities earlier this month said at least 115 “improperly stored” bodies had been recovered. The number of bodies could change as the investigation continues.
On Oct. 13, all decedents were removed from the funeral home and transported to the El Paso County Coroner’s Office, CBI officials said in a news release.
The second phase of the investigation includes confirming identification and notifying families. This step, expected to begin over the next couple of days, will be led by the Fremont County Coroner’s Office, victim advocates and others, authorities said. There is no timetable for its completion.
Sauder Schelkopf and Bochetto & Lentz recently filed a class action lawsuit against Harvard Medical School following a June 14, 2023, indictment of several individuals alleging that a nationwide network of individuals bought and sold human remains stolen from Harvard Medical School. Our firms have also litigated or are currently litigating cases in New Jersey and Michigan on behalf of individuals whose loved ones’ bodies were mishandled
Experience Matters
Sauder Schelkopf has a nationally recognized litigation practice. The firm currently serves as court-appointed lead counsel in courts across the country. The attorneys at Sauder Schelkopf have recovered over $500 million on behalf of their clients and class members. Our firm was recognized by the Legal Intelligencer’s 2022 Professional Excellence Awards. The Legal Intelligencer’s Professional Excellence Awards honor Pennsylvania law firms and attorneys who have significantly impacted the legal profession. Our firm was named in the Litigation Departments of the Year (Specialty Area category; runner-up), an award that honors the best litigation practice in a small or mid-sized firm in Pennsylvania. This recognition was based on the firm’s 2021 litigation work and its important ongoing cases. LawDragon has recognized our attorneys in its list of the “500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers” for 2022. This list notes: “From the opioid epidemic to toxic substances and defective products, truck accidents to wildfires and sexual abuse, these are the lawyers who stand on the front line in individual lawsuits and class actions seeking justice.” Mr. Schelkopf was named to Pennsylvania’s Best Lawyers® 2022 for Class Actions/Mass Tort Litigation. The American Lawyer named Mr. Sauder to its 2021 Northeast Trailblazers. The honor recognizes 60 lawyers who are “truly agents of change.” It “recognizes professionals in the Northeast who have moved the needle in the legal industry.” The Legal Intelligencer named Mr. Sauder and Mr. Schelkopf in its 2020 Pennsylvania Trailblazers list recognizing 31 lawyers who “have taken extra measures to contribute to positive outcomes . . . and who are truly agents of change.” The Legal highlighted the firm’s innovative work on advocacy as class counsel in large institutional sex abuse cover-ups, women’s, and children’s rights. Our attorneys have also consistently been recognized by their peers being named to Pennsylvania SuperLawyer, a distinction held by the top 5% of attorneys in Pennsylvania. The National Trial Lawyers Association has also selected our attorneys as the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Pennsylvania.
We Want to Hear from You
If your loved one’s funeral arrangements were handled by Return to Nature Funeral Home based in Colorado Springs, Colorado and you are unable to confirm the final disposition of remains or are uncertain about the identity of the cremated remains you received contact the lawyers at Sauder Schelkopf by filling out the form on this page or calling 888.711.9975.