Man Accused in Wife's Deadly Fall Also Killed First Wife: Prosecutor. Was that a dream?". The 100 Best Albums of 2022. Of all the titles that the Defendant has bestowed upon himself without merit, the title of Murderer, bequeathed by the jury, is the only title that the Defendant has earned. The Defendants jealousy and selfish ambition prevented any of his energies from being expended in considering the good of others, and, as such, his actions were accordingly contemptible.The Defendant mistakenly believes that he is a father and parent just because he has a child. As Warren Buffet stated, Honesty is a very expensive gift. To one cop, Harold said the tire they pulled over to change was completely flat. To another he said it wasnt him Lynn was actually rescued by a random group of helpful strangers. To Toni Bertolet Henthorns family, her friends, and the people for whom she cared, Tonis life was about the moments that took our breath away., Beyond even that, Sandras brother, Kevin Richell, went so far as to apologize to Tonis family for not seeing through the curious circumstances surrounding Sandras death. He was a good guy, a loving husband, a good father to their daughter, and extremely busy working as a fundraiser for churches,. In 2019, he filed a petition for a writ of certiorari, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to investigate the matter, which was again denied. Toni had a profound effect on people with her care, having been consistently described by her patients and their families as that of an Angel and a Godsend in the time of need. Last pictures of Toni Henthorn killed by her husband Harold Henthorn on For both wives of Harold Henthorn, the locations where they died were deserted and Henthorn was the only other person present. Then harder still. Her greatest asset was her ability to feel what others were feeling. Harold Henthorn news, trial, appeal updates, photos - The Denver Post When Dave Weaver first sat down with the file he wasnt impressed. Grief is place where one never wishes to remain; yet it will be our unending passage due to the wrongful acts of the Defendant. Gary Clexton, a court-appointed special administrator representing Toni Henthorn's estate, declined to discuss the new court case involving Rob Henthorn and the half million dollars. The family had enough money. We feel some of the information in the article is misrepresented or incorrect, Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock toldRolling Stone in a statement, but we still have an ongoing criminal investigation and are not at liberty to discuss the case any further.). When she died, her daughter was only 7 years old. Solutions . The show even traced the subsequent investigation, focusing on the authorities as they cast their net around the murderer. In December, Toni Bertolet's husband, Harold Henthorn, received a mandatory life sentence for her death. This is "Dateline NBC: Henthorn Case" by Vicky Collins on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. But all was not as it seemed. His second wife had $4.5 million in life insurance. Then he tried to get the car to fall. Case closed. Then came more subtle attempts to choke off any contact Toni might have with those who loved her. Dateline NBC: Henthorn Case on Vimeo She called the Sheriffs office the next day to ask where she could pick up the coat. She told Toni that Harold may have even been having an affair. To the young medical physician in need of an accomplished mentor to guide a promising medical career, Tonis life mattered and was indispensable. Tonis brother Barry Bertolet spoke at the sentencing. Over a year before Lynns death, he had been arrested outside of a J.C. Penney for shoplifting $40 worth of underwear, odd behavior for a man who claimed to be so well off. It is unknown when Harold married for the first time, but he and his first wife, Sandra Lynn Henthorn, were together for 12 years before a terrible tragedy affected their seemingly happy lives. In photographs released by the US Attorney's Office after the. The Defendant now denounces and rejects a judicial system that convicted him of his crime beyond a reasonable doubt.The public needs to be able to forget Harold Henthorn, because he does not belong in anyones future. CBS 48 Hours file photos This wasn't the only circumstance that Walsh saw as suspicious. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Jul 26, 2017 Slain Woman's Ashes Returned 4 Years After Murder. It took Harold 45 minutes to get to her, and he claimed he performed CPR as best he could after dialing 911. The sentence to be handed down by this court is the only result that the Defendant has actually earned in his adult life. The Defendant demeaned the investigative authorities for uncovering his murder and sinister intentions. She was a beautiful hazel-eyed blonde Southern Belle who excelled in academics, sports, music and leadership. He found a Jeep Cherokee similar to the one that fell on Lynn and went about trying to recreate the scenario that killed her. Do not expect it from cheap people. The defendant is morally cheap and is bankrupt of all honesty.In the Defendants sociopathic world, no person, place, or thing had any power over him, as his thoughts and his mind were the only authority. Harold even called 911, and when first responders reached the scene, they noticed that Toni had fallen from a height of 140 feet to her death. She had fallen 128 feet, and suffered numerous severe injuries. Investigators searched deeper and found that Henthorn's first wife, Sandra, died in 1995 when their Jeep Cherokee fell on her. The Defendants phony status and perception took priority over his family, and he chose family and friends based solely on his ability to deceive the same. Here's everything to know about them. We can forgive a child for being afraid of the dark, but we cannot forgive the darkness of selfish desolation that lies within the Defendants heart.The Defendant would have us erroneously believe that he is an unlucky man, a hard luck husband, and a person in which lightning has tragically struck twice. Phone calls and emails from CBS4 to Mackey were not returned. 'Lethal love': Harold Henthorn had two wives. Both died in bizarre Harold Henthorn and Toni Henthorn tied the knot in 2000. My name is Bob Bertolet, father of the victim, Toni Bertolet Henthorn. A 59-year-old Colorado man was found guilty Monday of killing his wife by pushing her off a cliff in Rocky Mountain National Park in order to collect millions in life insurance money. She died on the operating room after being flown to the hospital in a helicopter. Toni was a successful eye surgeon yet she wanted nothing more than to be in a loving marriage and have a family. Following the death of his first wife, Harold married a second time after meeting Dr. Toni Jill Bertolet Henthorn on a dating site. In 1994, Henthorn was arrested for shoplifting $47.49 worth of men's underwear from a JCPenney store. IE 11 is not supported. That detail led to a much closer investigation of Tonis death. The story went like this: Late one night, while Haley slept inside the cabin, Harold asked Toni to help him clean up some debris. Since Harold was treated from the start as a victim, not a suspect, and since his wifes death was treated as an accident, not a deliberate murder, clues that wouldve appeared to others as red flags had no discernible hue at all. Additionally, the police ascertained that Harold stood to gain substantial life insurance money following Tonis demise, which gave him a motive for murder. "She contributed a lot to society, and to be wiped out for no good reason, it's more devastating." After meeting on a Christian dating website, the two got in touch and connected over their love for religion. January 10th was one day short of her mothers birthday on January 11th. Mississippi doctor's murder examined by Dateline - WLBT var sc_project=9846729; Harold was convicted of first-degree murder, and in 2015 was sentenced to life in federal prison. In the Defendants selfish quest to hoard a child as a possession, he interfered with and severed a sacred relationshipthat of a mothers love for her child and the childs need for the love her mother. There were other inconsistencies too. But the rescue team couldnt make it to their position in time, and Toni died. The Douglas County Coroner had ruled Lynns death as accidental. If you want to know more about this baffling case and where Harold Henthorn is today, we have you covered. To another he said it was merely spongy. We grieve that we were not by her side in her dying moments. Still, Harold persisted in his innocence, and in 2017 he filed an appeal for a retrial, which was subsequently denied. To the young man who thought he needed a new prescription for his glasses, but was diagnosed by Toni with an aggressive brain tumor requiring immediate intervention, Tonis life mattered and was indispensable. ", VIDEO:Watch the CBS4 special "Inside The Investigation: Harold Henthorn. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time During the initial investigation, Detective Weavers colleagues had found some inconsistencies. She had a passion to console and give advice to those who were in need of direction and comfort. Bob and Yvonne voiced their concerns to Toni when they could, which meant the few times they traveled to Colorado to see her in person and got her alone. Harold Henthorn, who shoved second wife off cliff, loses appeal for a new murder trial. After all, Harold was a respected member of the community. On the map of the park he had with him the day of Tonis death, there was a literal Xright at the spot where Toni went over the edge. Firstly, we wanted to be a strong voice for Toni and to seek justice in her behalf. How does she know that the person she chooses loves her for who she is and not for her wealth and lifestyle? Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Eventually, Harold is arrested and convicted of first-degree murder. He was older. Its a mandatory sentence for first-degree murder in Colorado; Henthorn was 59. In fact, the most endearing and only statement that has been uttered by the Defendant is that he lost his best friend, a less than committed affirmation of a supposedly loving relationship. Friends and family thought they knew him, but did they, really? Plot summary Add synopsis Genres Documentary News Certificate TV-PG Parents guide Add content advisory The Defendant severely limited and constrained the mother / daughter relationship of Toni and her mother and closely monitored all communication, not because they didnt get along, but merely because they were too close. "statcounter.com/counter/counter.js'>"); We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. We agonize over the question: Did Toni know she was being murdered and what were her thoughts as she fell 140 feet? But for us, there will be, forever in this life, the pain and tears, maybe not seen by others, for our daughter, killed in a cruel, sadistic, senseless and cowardly act of violence.On September 29, 2012, the family as a whole decided on a course of action, not believing that the tragedy was an accident. Years removed from the original investigation, with Toni Henthorns suspicious fall raising new concerns, Detective Weaver was told to go where the truth led him. Similar to his first wifes death, Harold Henthorn began showing inconsistencies in his statements, but the police were cautious this time. He was able to hide the fact that he didn't work, even though he maintained for years that he did. A true parent places a childs needs above their own selfish wants. Toni's Family Addresses the Judge At Harold Henthorn's Sentencing If the Bertolets wanted to see their daughter they had to get on a plane, a burden for two elderly parents even before both suffered mild strokes. The couple met online in late 1999 and got married only nine months later, both in a rush to have a child. ". He needed things done his way something that was becoming more and more evident with each passing day. A federal jury on Monday convicted a man of murder for pushing his wife off a cliff as they hiked in Colorado to celebrate their wedding anniversary. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. At one time she had been assertive and confident a former high school athlete with a deep commitment to God and an unwavering belief that she was put on Earth to help people heal. Her husband, Harold Henthorn, was convicted of first-degree murder in. Incidentally, the highway was quite deserted at that time of the year and did not witness much traffic. Harold never said she wasnt allowed, of course. This despite the fact that the Bertolets had been extra generous to Harold and Toni, gifting them some half-million dollars for a down payment on their house in Colorado, for cars and new appliances and for anything else the couple needed in the 10 years since theyd married. Haley Henthorn is the daughter of Harold Henthorn. He insisted to anyone who would listen that he was an in-demand fundraiser who had a large staff and made millions a year. It would be years before they would find justice. It was Yvonnes job as a surgical nurse and the fact that she kept medical textbooks lying open around the house while Toni was growing up that first inspired Toni to get her start in medicine. Stranger still was Harolds behavior on phone calls. Convicted Killer Harold Henthorn Seeks New Trial, Claims Lawyer A federal jury on Monday convicted a man of murder for pushing his wife off a cliff as they hiked in Colorado to celebrate their wedding anniversary. The stories he told police werent at all consistent. He was 50 when his wife Toni passed away. The letter was from the Department of the Interior, which oversees every one of the countrys 417 national parks. He would put them on speakerphone and then do the majority of the talking, while Tonis voice came in faint and distant, as if she were standing in another room. Toni worked long and hard in pursuing her goal of being an ophthalmologist. I think of how desperately she wanted a child and now she will never see that child grow up, never see her grandchildren.There is a picture of a smiling Toni resting on an easel in our home. A year after he was sentenced to life in prison, it doesnt look like Harolds appeal has yet been carried out. It wasnt until Toni came back to Mississippi to visit, for the first and only time in a decade without Harold, that Yvonne began to worry for her daughters safety. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Harold Henthorn had taken out three life insurance policies totaling $4.5 million before the death of his wife, Toni, on Sept. 29, 2012. If he is ultimately convicted of murder, he will face a mandatory life sentence with no possibility of parole. If Harold said they needed a new car, the car got bought. : "http://www. Andaccording to Haroldhe was putting the old tire in the trunk, with Sandra underneath the car, when the car slipped off its jack and crushed her. Harold Henthorn - Chilling Crimes The Bertolets found it odd that long after shed ceased to be a baby, Harold kept a video monitor running in his daughters room. However, his first wife, Lynn . First published on September 23, 2015 / 11:02 PM. Her husband's past is probed and deadly secrets are revealed. According to the testimony later given at a trial, instead of learning for themselves how much money Harold was due to receive from his wifes life insurance, Douglas Countys detectives took his word for it that the payout was $300,000 still a large amount considering his wifes modest social workers salary of $14,000 a year. 48 Hours examines the case of Harold Henthorn whose wives died 17 years apart in supposedly freak accidents. The Defendants entire adult life was a lie and scam to live his life and lifestyle while others paid the price. Get the help you need from a therapist near youa FREE service from Psychology Today. Toni Henthorn fell to her death off a cliff while hiking with her husband, Harold. For most of their lives, Toni and her mother Yvonne had been best friends. Reviewed by Ekua Hagan. Prosecutors said Harold. Sandra's death is now being re-investigated more thoroughly by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. The Bertolets had accepted those quirks early on because thats what a good family does they worked hard at liking the person that made their daughter happy. He told them, We are beyond sorry for not seeing through it. A chance to speak frankly with her daughter was something she hadnt had for a long time and Yvonne didnt waste it. Toni and Harold Henthorn were celebrating their 12th wedding anniversary the weekend when she died. The Bertolets could sense that Toni was unhappy but felt there was little they could do about it. In the upcoming documentary, Brian Maas will investigate the crime that captured the nation when Harold Henthorn was finally arrested for the murder of his second wife 20 years after the death of his first wife, Sandra Lynn Rishell, aka Lynn . Many notorious serial killers have been sociopaths, such as Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Toni had fallen off a cliff? In each case, the Defendant made arrangements to be a lucky recipient of significant benefits from those deathshis own version a post mortem lottery. A Colorado jury of eight women and four men deliberated for 12 hours over two days before deciding Monday afternoon that Harold Henthorn, 59, was guilty of murdering his wife three years ago. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC. By Kirk Mitchell. Overwhelmed by the loss of the child, Toni never wanted to see the hurt in another persons eyes, much less a childs eyes. This trial was about the last moment in Tonis life and the moment that Toni took her last breath, he saidand he was actually speaking for two Bertolets; his brother, Todd, wrote the statement. Yvonne had spent more than a decade suppressing her motherly intuition about Harold so that her daughter would be spared the consequences. The story behind that tragedy was revealed last November in an episode of CBS' "48 Hours" and, apparently, more details are forthcoming with the "Dateline" broadcast this month. Wife-killer Harold Henthorn failed to win his appeal for a new murder trial Maybe it wasnt the most critical detail. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. After a few years sharpening his golf game Weaver got bored and applied for a job in Douglas, the county just to the south. Harold couldnt account for how the SUV fell off not one, but the two jacks he said hed used to prop it up. Harold Henthorn, and his wife Toni.. His bosses told him to work the case the same way he worked every other case, which meant to go where the truth led, no matter where it led. They were the first people to witness his incredibly odd behavior the evening his first wife died. Their only daughter was gone. Toni Henthorn was a skilled ophthalmologist and loving mother. Three years later we are still heavy laden with the emotional shock of her death.Toni was a special child, a precious gift to us from God. Harold Henthorn was one calculating and manipulative murderer. ", After the jury was dismissed, applause erupted in the courtroom. I think there is a special place in hell for someone like [Harold].. Yet Toni remained silent. His first wife Lynn died in 1995 after a car held up by a jack fell on her. In photographs released by the US Attorney's Office after the. PostedNovember 18, 2014 Toni Henthorn's brother, Todd Bertolet, told CBS4, "They're going to go after assets that should be in Toni's estate." And, strangest of all from Montoyas perspective, Harold refused to hand over the coat he was wearing. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The Bertolets have always been a close-knit family, loving, helping and protecting one another. It does not store any personal data. Yet every time Toni managed to sneak a look at the couples finances, she found that their bank accounts werent nearly as flush as he made them out to be. After Tonis death, the Defendant routinely proclaimed that Haley Henthorn was doing just fine without her mother. I feel for him and his family. His wife supported him, he didnt work, and he could have continued to live that life forever. Thus, considering all evidence and statements, the police decided they had enough to charge Harold Henthorn with Toni Henthorns murder. Within less than a week, Douglas Countys coroner declared Lynn Henthorns death an accident. Douglas County had changed tremendously in the intervening years. She had insurance policies, and Henthorn collected $496,000 from her death. Black Widower: How One Man Allegedly Murdered Two Wives. The audacity of Henthorns crimesand the fact that hes only been charged with one murder, though public opinion has deemed him overwhelmingly guilty of twocontinues to shock and amaze, even years after they first came to light. Nor did the coroners office report whether the contents of Lynns stomach indicated one story was more plausible than the other. Harold Henthorn was the only witness to both bizarre deaths of his two wives. Secondly, we wanted to provide a safe and loving environment for Haley, preferably with her mothers Mississippi family. That wasnt really a concern for the Bertolets Tonis father, Bob, had grown wealthy by making smart bets on pieces of land that turned out to be full of oil. They also would have discovered that the amount was so high because Harold had changed the policy. Even after shed fallen asleep, Harold found a way to keep his eye on his only child. Feds say Henthorn pushed his wife over a cliff at Rocky Mountain National Park. Create and promote branded videos, host live events and webinars, and more. Oh it was nothing, Mrs. B! Harold had insisted on one of their phone calls afterwards. | Henthorn told investigators that his wife paused to take a photo of the view and fell face-first over the ledge. It was only a few days into the new year, 2013, and only a few weeks after the Douglas County Sheriffs Department received a curious letter. Nice, right? As the little boy lay on the emergency room table, he pointed to his head and moaned hurt..hurt. A federal jury on Monday convicted a man of murder for pushing his wife to her death off a cliff as they hiked in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park to celebrate their wedding anniversary, rejecting his claim that her fall was a tragic accident. Prosecutors argued during a two-week trial that Henthorn carefully staged Toni Henthorn's death to look like an accident because he stood to benefit from her $4.7 million in life-insurance policies, which she didn't know existed. What Toni meant was that Harold didnt like to be questioned. All of this led to the filing of murder charges last week. Testimony in the Henthorn trial showed Harold Henthorn never really had steady employment, had brought in no income while married to Toni Henthorn, and had been living off his ophthalmologist wife and her family's money for years. Hey Mrs. B! Harold would say, using the pet name hed given Yvonne. Gacy was a popular Chicago contractor who entertained children in hospitals, yet also raped, tortured, and killed 33 young men. Moments after a federal court jury convicted Harold Henthorn Monday of killing his second wife Toni, a process server surprised Rob Henthorn with court papers compelling him to appear in court in Douglas County Oct. 30 to tell a probate judge what happened to the half million dollars Harold Henthorn transferred to him, or a business controlled by him, in early 2014 before Henthorn was arrested for his wife's murder. CBS4 Investigator Brian Maass has been with the station more than 30 years uncovering waste, fraud and corruption. If Toni mentioned a stove wasnt working properly or noticed something else that needed fixing, the issue got deliberated for hours, until Toni was so exhausted by the argument that she gave up. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. David Lindley, Multi-Instrumentalist Who Shaped the Sound of Soft Rock, Dead at 78 She Used the Bathroom And Became a Target of the Culture War, Here's How LaRussell and Intuit are Helping Independent Artists Understand How to Achieve Their Financial Ambitions, Alex Murdaugh Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Wife and Son, Alex Murdaugh Found Guilty of Murdering Wife and Son, Tennessee Enacts Nations First Law Restricting Drag Shows, The National Stay Up Late to Perform 'Tropic Morning News' on Fallon, David Lindley, Multi-Instrumentalist Who Shaped the Sound of Soft Rock, Dead at 78, Suki Waterhouse Won't Take Romance for Granted on New Single 'To Love', Travis Barker Says His Finger Ligament Surgery Was a 'Success' After Postponing Blink-182 Tour. In 2014 federal magistrate judge Kathleen Tafoya said at a hearing, "The court views these transfers as an attempt to hide $500,000 in cash assets which could be used should the defendant decide to flee the country.