Bob and Yvonne watched as Harold slowly took control of Tonis life. If Harold said they needed a new car, the car got bought. Convicted Wife-Killer Harold Henthorn Back In Court, Claims Attorney Within less than a week, Douglas Countys coroner declared Lynn Henthorns death an accident. Old Medication, New Use: Can Prazosin Curb Drinking? The sentencing today is the final act in completing our first goal and has opened the door to achieving the second goal. I think there is a special place in hell for someone like [Harold].. In spite of Tonis efforts, the little boy died having succumbed to his injuries. Harold Henthorn had taken out three life insurance policies totaling $4.5 million before the death of his wife, Toni, on Sept. 29, 2012. Although Harold pleaded not guilty at his trial, the jury did not deliberate long before pronouncing him guilty. Harold Henthorn And The Mysterious Deaths Of His Two Wives Airing On This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Grief doesnt move on and doesnt end for those that are loved. var scJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? When Dave Weaver first sat down with the file he wasnt impressed. He rested the car on the same type of jacks Harold said hed used, in the same spot on the same side of the road where Lynn died. Harold Henthorn flanked by first wife Lynn and second wife Toni. Only then did it come crashing down. When the friends and family of Toni Henthorn heard how she died, only one was able to put into words what so many others were thinking. I disagree with the Defendants counsel when he proclaimed that the Defendant told lies to his detriment; the truth is the Defendant told lies for his direct benefit. He was careful and methodical and knew how to navigate the choppy waters of bureaucracy even when it came to the toughest cases. To one cop, Harold said that they were driving east. The Defendant claimed to have a career and business, when, in fact he had neither. CBS4 Investigator Brian Maass has been with the station more than 30 years uncovering waste, fraud and corruption. They can keep it under control most of the time, but sometimes when the opportunity arises, they strike. Incidentally, the highway was quite deserted at that time of the year and did not witness much traffic. But every time she broached the subject of Harolds job, the couples lack of money or his need for control over every part of her life, Toni always had the same response: If you do that, Ill suffer the consequences. Harold, in contrast to all those grieving family members, had been calm. He was constantly talking, often bragging, and always had to be the center of attention. And the only reason Weaver was even looking at this thin excuse for a file was that now that same husband was a widower once more. He was a good guy, a loving husband, a good father to their daughter, and extremely busy working as a fundraiser for churches, charities, and non-profit groups. The Danger of Manipulative Love-Bombing in a Relationship, 7 Ticking Time Bombs That Destroy Loving Relationships, An Addiction Myth That Needs to Be Revisited, 5 Spiritual Practices That Increase Well-Being. var sc_security="9a0f0d6e"; The Defendants entire adult life was a lie and scam to live his life and lifestyle while others paid the price. In a horrible turn of events, Lynn crawled under the car to retrieve a lug nut when the vehicle came down on her crushing her fatally. 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. Then, while she was standing below a raised porch with her back turned, Toni felt the weight of something heavy hit her on the neck and knock her to the ground. The travel for work that didnt seem, to Yvonne at least, to be real? The wrongful death was affirmed by an attentive, intelligent, meticulous, and methodical jury that considered the facts and evidence in this case and reached the verdict of guilty of 1st degree murder. The 2 Most Psychologically Incisive Films of 2022, The Surprising Role of Empathy in Traumatic Bonding. Tonis alma mater, the University of Mississippi, has set up an endowment in her name that will raise money for ophthalmology education and surgical equipment. Bob Bertolet, Tonis father, and Todd Bertolet, her younger brother, read the following victim impact statements at Harolds sentencing. The silence of the victim, Toni Bertolet Henthorn, in the court today represents her loudest cry for her daughter and the injustice at the hands of the Defendant.In closing, this trial was about the last moment in Tonis life and the moment that Toni took her last breath. To one cop, Harold said the tire they pulled over to change was completely flat. Todd Bertolet, Toni Henthorn's brother said, "That was what was so odd. The strange saga of Henthorn and his two ill-fated wives began back in the spring of 1995. However, his first wife, Lynn . Toni was a successful eye surgeon yet she wanted nothing more than to be in a loving marriage and have a family. On May 6, 1995, Harold and Lynndecided to go on a long drive along a highway in Sedalia, Colorado. If she hadnt moved a millisecond before it hit her, she later told her mother, it may have landed right on her head, perhaps with enough force to kill. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 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. 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. A jury returned a guilty verdict Monday in its second day of deliberations. At one point, Sandra ended up underneath the car looking for a lug nut and the car crushed her when it fell off the jack. 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 chose his own selfishness and greed over the needs of his family. By the time Detective Weaver called Roberts, she had been promoted all the way up to chief of the department, and had witnessed more deaths than she cared to count. This has nothing to do with borderline personality disorder. Perhaps the most difficult part to understand is that Henthorn had it made. 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. Nor did the coroners office report whether the contents of Lynns stomach indicated one story was more plausible than the other. What kind of mind thinks like that to kill based on an opportunity? The Defendant claimed to be financially wealthy, when, in fact he had no fortune at all. 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. Secondly, we wanted to provide a safe and loving environment for Haley, preferably with her mothers Mississippi family. As fate would have it, the couples Jeep Cherokee suddenly had a problem with one of its tires in the middle of the road. Haley Henthorn, Harold Henthorn Daughter Age Now - Mixedarticle What they wanted was to see Toni happy. In each case, the Defendant made arrangements to be a lucky recipient of significant benefits from those deathshis own version a post mortem lottery. Montoya and her family had been driving home that night from a day of fishing and picnicking when Harold appeared in the glow of their cars headlights and waved them down. Harold stopped to check and had the vehicle propped up on a jack. In addition, Henthorn has only been in the public eye since 2012, and was only sentenced last year, but his story really spans twenty years. Had they checked, they would have found that Harold actually received twice that much. PostedNovember 18, 2014 Initially, the couple appeared ecstatic in their new life and were happy with each other. A chance to speak frankly with her daughter was something she hadnt had for a long time and Yvonne didnt waste it. Detective Weaver further discovered that the department was woefully undertrained: the man in charge of the investigation had been a detective for all of five months, had never been the lead on any homicide, and had never undergone any formal training before becoming a detective. Something wasnt right, and Yvonne wanted to talk with Toni. The money was purportedly for a business investment, according to evidence presented at an earlier federal court hearing. Every morning, she wakes up asking herself, "Did it really happen? Afterwards she would discover what it was that had hurt her so badly: a large piece of lumber that Harold said fell off the porch. After meeting on a Christian dating website, the two got in touch and connected over their love for religion. Prosecutors and police. To the little boy that was dying on the emergency room table that felt the healing hand of a wonderful physician, but was in need of a guiding hand to heaven from a person of tremendous faith, Tonis life mattered and was indispensable.On September 29, 2012, the Defendant murdered Toni Bertolet Henthorn. It would be years before they would find justice. Technically Weaver wasnt even supposed to be a detective. Create and promote branded videos, host live events and webinars, and more. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The most recent Harold Henthorn case update comes courtesy of NBCs Dateline, which devoted an entire two-hour episode to the bizarre chain of events that led to Henthorns conviction on a murder charge. To one cop, Harold said that he jacked up the fallen car and pulled Lynn out from underneath it in a desperate attempt to save her life. Toni. The silence of the victim, Toni Bertolet Henthorn, in the court today is another word for the pain that she lived at the hands of the Defendant. According to the show, Tonis family passed a statement claiming that their daughter was quite disturbed in the days leading up to her passing. Stories About Harold Henthorn - CBS Colorado Stranger still was Harolds behavior on phone calls. The Defendant claimed to be a family man, when, in fact he was a selfish man. Harold Hentho 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. Douglas County wasnt prepared to investigate Lynns death not only because theyd never seen one like it, but because they werent prepared anything of this magnitude. "We don't have to worry anymore.". Her husband, Harold Henthorn, was convicted of first-degree murder in. Feds say Henthorn pushed his wife over a cliff at Rocky Mountain National Park. He had no real mentor to help him, Weaver said recently, in his first public comments since his retirement in August. Harold Henthorn, 59, was convicted of one count of first-degree murder in the 2012 death of his second wife, Dr. Toni Henthorn. Toni and Harold Henthorn were celebrating their 12th wedding anniversary the weekend when she died. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. 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. How does she know that grief and sadness will not fall upon her again at the hands of a person she trusted? Harold Henthorn, and his wife Toni. After all, Harold was a respected member of the community. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 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. Also, an extensive review found that Henthorn, who had a clean police record besides a couple of minor traffic citations, had been charged with shoplifting underwear! It had been a full day, and the sun had set. You do with this what you want to. 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. IE 11 is not supported. They even uncovered a startling fact: Harold was already a criminal. Toni Bertolet Henthorns life was a masterpiece and role model to those who were fortunate to be a part of her life. Detective Weaver discovered that there were multiple witnesses to the accidents aftermath who were never contacted. For most of their lives, Toni and her mother Yvonne had been best friends. Prosecutors said Harold. Buried inside the report, Detective Weaver found a reference to a footprint. Dateline Toni Henthorn, Harold Henrhorn's 37-year-old wife, was killed in October 2015. To some people he said the Jeep fell when he threw the flat tire into the open hatch in the back. But there was something else. David Lindley, Multi-Instrumentalist Who Shaped the Sound of Soft Rock, Dead at 78 The Defendant feels no guilt, and, as is the case with most criminals, blames the victim, the victims family, the Good Samaritan and rescuers, the press, the investigative authorities, and the judicial system for his troubles. Storyline Colorado, 2001: Toni Bertolet Henthorn, a doctor and mother, falls from a cliff in the Rockies. Employee communication . He had her body cremated, scattered the ashes on Colorados Red Mountain, and collected the $4.7 million life insurance payout from the plan she had recently signed up for. Dateline NBC (@DatelineNBC) November 23, 2016 A few weeks later, in early December, a judge handed down the official sentence: life in prison. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time The couple met online in late 1999 and got married only nine months later, both in a rush to have a child. A partial footprint wasnt necessarily evidence of anything. When Weaver finally left the Air Force and asked her where she wanted to live, she chose Denver. 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. There was something else, too, buried inside the file. It would have been, except that Toni plunged down a 50-foot cliff to her death. But all was not as it seemed. Harold Henthorn was one calculating and manipulative murderer. (Photo credits: Harold Henthorn case update via Dateline, Tyler Cipriani) Case closed. Harold couldnt account for how the SUV fell off not one, but the two jacks he said hed used to prop it up. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. After a few years sharpening his golf game Weaver got bored and applied for a job in Douglas, the county just to the south. Instead, it appears he risked it all for some insurance compensation. The only witness to the accident was her husband. To one cop, Harold said he and Lynn left their house to go on the drive around 1 p.m. To another he said 7. He was older. Toni Henthorn fell to her death off a cliff while hiking with her husband, Harold. Hulus Wild Crime tells the story of Harold Henthorn and how he almost got away with murder. Knowing what you value will help you build the most meaningful life possible. Then he tried to get the car to fall. Then harder still. 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. We agonize over the question: Did Toni know she was being murdered and what were her thoughts as she fell 140 feet? From the time of Tonis death, the Defendant has made it abundantly clear that he just wanted to move on with his life. Henthorn told investigators that his wife paused to take a photo of the view and fell face-first over the ledge. Follow him on Twitter @Briancbs4. Do it carefully, not quickly, was Weavers. What Toni meant was that Harold didnt like to be questioned. Their grandchild was now in the care of the man they believed to be her killer. Bertolet said he supported what the court-appointed administrators were doing since Toni Henthorn's family believes Harold Henthorn has likely spent hundreds of thousands of dollars of his dead wife's money to pay his own defense lawyers. Harold and Toni Henthorn (credit CBS) A federal jury convicted Henthorn of pushing his second wife, Toni, off a cliff in Rocky Mountain National Park in 2012. It is often said that when a brilliant mind, talent, and heart come together as one, one should expect a Masterpiece. 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. "); Prosecutors and authorities learned that before Tonis death, she had been subjected twice to injuries allegedly caused by a wooden beam. He then let them take the lead when it came time to give her CPR. For a time, she wondered if she would ever be able to perform another operation. And, though hes already serving a life sentence for killing his second wife, the total lack of charges stemming from the strange, mysterious death of his first continues to fuel general outrage and disbelief. She was an eye surgeon. Unlucky in love, but a success just about everywhere else. 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. IE 11 is not supported. After all, his first wife had also died under unusual circumstances, although her death was immediately ruled an accident. The Defendant is neither a good father nor a replacement for a loving mother. Toni sat next to her mother saying nothing. Grief means coping, emptiness, adjusting, loss, and sadness. But given the inconsistencies in Harolds story plus the inaccurate life insurance figure he shared, along with the fact that no one could explain exactly how the Jeep had fallen in the first place its existence pointed to an alternative explanation: Harold had kicked the car and killed his wife on purpose. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time 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. She told Detective Weaver that she had been at accident scenes where family members of victims were crying, screaming, and in some cases so emotional they punched her. No. His job, for instance. Her brother, Todd Bertolet, after learning about the theft arrest, said, "I'm blown away. Harold and Toni Henthorn Toni and Harold met online in 1999 and married just nine months later. My child now asks the appropriate question of how do I know. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Although the police found a partial footprint on the Jeeps tires and Harolds statements about the tragedy kept changing, Lynns death was soon determined an accident. After his second wife died in an accident, authorities found that circumstances of his first wife's death were more suspicious than they realized. Video marketing. The Defendant demeaned the investigative authorities for uncovering his murder and sinister intentions. His first wife Lynn died in 1995 after a car held up by a jack fell on her. 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. 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. Harold Henthorn gets life sentence for shoving second wife off cliff Full disclaimer: I have not evaluated Harold Henthorn, but if he is guilty of murder, then he would fall into the range of what I call a borderline sociopath. On September 29, 2012, the couple was hiking at Rocky Mountain National Park when Tonis brother received a chilling text. When Harold Henthorns second wife, Dr. Toni Henthorn, appeared to lose her life after a tragic fall, authorities became suspicious of the two times widower. At first glance, it wasnt even apparent that it was a case. The stories he told police werent at all consistent. The Defendant never showed grief as to the loss of Toni, and has yet to tell anyone in this family that he actually loved her. Then came the incident at the cabin. Related: Man Accused in Wife's Deadly Fall Also Killed First Wife: Prosecutor, They seized on Henthorn's inconsistent accounts of the fatal fall and said the evidence did not match his shifting stories. Yvonne wanted Toni to say something, anything. Mississippi doctor's murder examined by Dateline - WLBT 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 . The Bertolets could sense that Toni was unhappy but felt there was little they could do about it. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Additionally, detectives also discovered that shortly before Lynns death, Harold had doubled her life insurance in case of death by accident and subsequently had collected a lumpsum amount. Toni worked long and hard in pursuing her goal of being an ophthalmologist. Trending Toni Henthorn's brother, Todd Bertolet, told CBS4, "They're going to go after assets that should be in Toni's estate." ". To one cop, Harold said he and Lynn ate dinner at a nearby restaurant just prior to the accident. Similar to his first wifes death, Harold Henthorn began showing inconsistencies in his statements, but the police were cautious this time. January 10th was one day short of her mothers birthday on January 11th. She had insurance policies, and Henthorn collected $496,000 from her death. Related Harold Henthorn faces a mandatory life term when he is sentenced Dec. 8. To another he said they were on their way to the restaurant. September 23, 2015 / 11:02 PM His second wife Toni died in 2012 after a fall during a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. Oh it was nothing, Mrs. B! Harold had insisted on one of their phone calls afterwards. If you would like to donate, you can visit www.umc.edu/tonibertoletendowment. 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. Yvonne always considered Toni the best birthday present she ever received. A jury convicted Henthorn of murder in 2015 after about 10 and a half hours of deliberation. I dont think that was an accident at all, she said, sitting on a bed next to Toni. Editors picks The Defendant deserves the sentence of this Court as he has worked his entire adult life earning the same. Shortly before her death, the change Harold made allowed for double the compensation if Lynn died as a result of an accident. Yet Toni remained silent. Toni always carried the pain of a loss, but she also knew what those tragic moments taught her as a person. Rather, it defines an individual that doesnt meet the criteria for anti-social personality disorder, yet occasionally carries out anti-social acts. 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. Where is Harold Henthorn Now? - The Cinemaholic 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. A medical physician of Tonis caliber doesnt just happen because one simply holds a medical degree; this type of physician evolves through extraordinary experiences and is not readily replaced.There is no unique perspective or lesson to garner from the wrongful death and loss of Toni it is what it is a devastating loss. The Denver Channel, 7News, brings you the latest trusted news and information for Denver, Colorado, Mile High and. We feel guilt that we failed to act on our suspicions concerning Tonis welfare in her marriage. var sc_invisible=0; Henthorn told authorities his wife was busy taking photographs and must have slipped, although he didn't see exactly what happened because he was using his phone at the time. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Then came more subtle attempts to choke off any contact Toni might have with those who loved her. He tossed the flat in the back, as Harold had said hed done in one version of his story. He probably could have continued to live that lie, but if he did this, then greed got the best of him. The Defendants so called estate planning banked on and invested heavily in the premature demise of his wife. In Memory of Toni - University of Mississippi Foundation As was the case with the crime scene photos, we can close our eyes to things that we dont want to see, but we cant close our hearts to the hurt that we dont want to feel.Tonis life was ruined by the lies and deceitfulness of the Defendant, but, in the end, the Defendant was exposed and convicted by the truth. He was able to hide the fact that he didn't work, even though he maintained for years that he did. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. The case now before Weaver was different, though. Family, friends and co-workers were convinced Harold Henthorn was responsible for his wife's death. Eventually, Harold is arrested and convicted of first-degree murder. The Defendant slandered the victims family for not publicly supporting his lies and deception and taught his daughter to hate as punishment of the same.
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