No physical evidence remained. : "http://www. My child now asks the appropriate question of how do I know. If you want to know more about this baffling case and where Harold Henthorn is today, we have you covered. Yvonne had spent more than a decade suppressing her motherly intuition about Harold so that her daughter would be spared the consequences. All Rights reserved. 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. The Defendant deserves the sentence of this Court as he has worked his entire adult life earning the same. "She contributed a lot to society, and to be wiped out for no good reason, it's more devastating." DENVER (CBS4) - CBS4 has learned that the brother of convicted killer Harold Henthorn -- Rob Henthorn -- has been ordered to appear in court next month to explain what happened to $500,000. Solutions . 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. How does she know that the person she chooses loves her for who she is and not for her wealth and lifestyle? The Harold Henthorn-Toni Henthorn murder case will be aired on the latest episode of 48 Hours. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Selena Gomez vs. Hailey Bieber: Why Everyone Thinks They Need to Pick a Side. In 2012, Harold and Dr. Toni Henthorn celebrated their 12th wedding anniversary with a hiking trip in Rocky Mountain National Park. We agonize over the question: Did Toni know she was being murdered and what were her thoughts as she fell 140 feet? Even early on, Weaver could see that the truth was leading somewhere he didnt want to be. 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. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Harold owned a little house in the mountains west of Denver and took Toni and Haley there often. Plot summary Add synopsis Genres Documentary News Certificate TV-PG Parents guide Add content advisory It appeared instead to be a terrible accident. He insisted to anyone who would listen that he was an in-demand fundraiser who had a large staff and made millions a year. He was a good guy, a loving husband, a good father to their daughter, and extremely busy working as a fundraiser for churches,. "https://secure." Many notorious serial killers have been sociopaths, such as Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy. (This was also brought up in court.) Do it carefully, not quickly, was Weavers. 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 only witness to the accident was her husband. From the time of Tonis death, the Defendant has made it abundantly clear that he just wanted to move on with his life. She died after plummeting about 130 feet off a cliff in a remote, rocky area where the couple had been hiking on Sept. 29, 2012, their 12th wedding anniversary. He told them, We are beyond sorry for not seeing through it. 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. 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. Toni was a medical doctor that had this unique perspective on life, and those moments affirmed her compassionate care and concern for others. She had insurance policies, and Henthorn collected $496,000 from her death. "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. If you would like to donate, you can visit www.umc.edu/tonibertoletendowment. 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. 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. Toni Henthorn: 'Dateline' NBC Airs Rocky Mountain Death Fall Of Eye Toni was a successful eye surgeon yet she wanted nothing more than to be in a loving marriage and have a family. Toni had fallen off a cliff? However, Harold kept insisting on his innocence and in 2017 appealed for a retrial which was subsequently shot down. 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. Weaver was the man for the job because even in a room full of patient people, his patience marked him as different. What that something actually was, the Bertolets were slow to find out. Dateline NBC: Henthorn Case on Vimeo He had arrived with grand promises, including a claim that he was so rich that Toni would never have to work again. Reading through the file 18 years later, Detective Weaver realized something, which would later come out in court testimony from his superiors: that in almost every one of those conversations Harold made a statement that conflicted with something else hed already said. If Harold said they needed a new car, the car got bought. He had to give his bosses credit; they were telling him he was likely going to find something that embarrassed them, but encouraged him nonetheless. CBS 48 Hours file photos This wasn't the only circumstance that Walsh saw as suspicious. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time 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. 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. Early in her medical career, Toni received a call to give emergency care to a 4 or 5 year old little boy that had been critically injured in a car accident. Here's everything to know about them. His wife supported him, he didnt work, and he could have continued to live that life forever. We are forced to say goodbye, forced to learn to live without our loved one, and forced to fill the emptiness that remains in our hearts. The lead investigator made mention of a partial print on the wheel well, above the missing tire, the same one that Lynn had supposedly been trying to help change when she was killed. As exhibited previously of the mother / daughter relationship between Toni and her mother, the Defendant saw no value in a mothers love; the Defendant only saw the financial value of the life of the mother.To a child, evil and villains are supposed to be easily identifiable. 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. Toni Bertolet Henthorn died after she was pushed off a cliff during an anniversary hike in Rock Mountain National Park. According to the file, the investigators noted the brand of shoes Harold was wearing at the time Sperry Topsider and took pictures of the tread. Harold never said she wasnt allowed, of course. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. In photographs released by the US Attorney's Office after the. We want to hear it. Oh it was nothing, Mrs. B! Harold had insisted on one of their phone calls afterwards. A partial footprint wasnt necessarily evidence of anything. "We don't have to worry anymore.". He probably could have continued to live that lie, but if he did this, then greed got the best of him. Toni was either a blessing to the people that surrounded her or a lesson to those that she mentored.Toni used her extraordinary abilities to become an accomplished medical physician in the specialty of ophthalmology. Its a mandatory sentence for first-degree murder in Colorado; Henthorn was 59. Harold Henthorn gets life sentence for shoving second wife off cliff To the young man facing total blindness from an injury requiring the skilled hands of a surgeon, Tonis life mattered and was indispensable. 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. Dateline reporter Andrea Canning talked with family members who still live in Mississippi and retraced the day of her death and the investigation by federal authorities. The sentencing today is the final act in completing our first goal and has opened the door to achieving the second goal. Harold, in contrast to all those grieving family members, had been calm. Her greatest asset was her ability to feel what others were feeling. When that didnt work, he threw it a little harder. Tonis family, though, did not have a high opinion of Harold and suspected foul play after her death. A government auditor testified at a grand jury hearing that Henthorn not only kept things from friends and family but also deceived on many occasions. 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. But in Detective Weavers mind, none of that mattered to the men investigating the case because every piece of information they gathered was viewed through the same distorting prism. He slammed the tailgate. The camera he and his wife were passing back and forth had no photos on it. Which he always did. We take solace that prayers are being answeredIn closing, I thank the Court for allowing me to present this Victim Impact Statement. 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. 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. But all was not as it seemed. To the young medical physician in need of an accomplished mentor to guide a promising medical career, Tonis life mattered and was indispensable. 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. Children shouldnt have to sacrifice so that one can have the life one wants, one makes sacrifices so ones children can have the life that they deserve. 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. Jul 26, 2017 Slain Woman's Ashes Returned 4 Years After Murder. Henthorn had been living a lie for years. ", VIDEO:Watch the CBS4 special "Inside The Investigation: Harold Henthorn. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Finally, Detective Weaver took his foot and, in the same place where the original partial print was found, kicked the Jeep. According to the Denver Channel, Toni Henthorn's husband, Harold Henthorn, was ultimately convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, but his supporters say that he didn't do it. 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. Bob and Yvonne watched as Harold slowly took control of Tonis life. If he is ultimately convicted of murder, he will face a mandatory life sentence with no possibility of parole. He needed things done his way something that was becoming more and more evident with each passing day. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". 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. They were out hiking when Toni lost her balance on a steep cliff in Rocky Mountain National Park on September 29th, 2012, bleeding out on the ground 130 feet below where she fell. Similar to his first wifes death, Harold Henthorn began showing inconsistencies in his statements, but the police were cautious this time. Harold Henthorn was the only witness to both bizarre deaths of his two wives. Firstly, we wanted to be a strong voice for Toni and to seek justice in her behalf. 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. Selling the Bro Dream: Are Frat Boys Peddling Vemma Suckers? He insisted at both the verdict and the sentencing that he would appeal the decision. Nothing budged the car. 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. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Lynn Henthorns death was a tragedy, not a crime. Toni sat next to her mother saying nothing. Bertolet said he and his family believe Harold Henthorn funneled the $500,000 to his brother anticipating that he would eventually be charged criminally for Toni Henthorn's death and might not have access to the money. 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. 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! Tom Sizemore, Heat and Saving Private Ryan Actor, Dead at 61 Tyler Hadley's Killer Party He pushed her, said Tonis father, Bob. The couple seemed quite happy initially and even gave birth to their only child, Haley, in 2005. DATELINE Harold Henthorn case update involves possible - Starcasm The Bertolets have always been a close-knit family, loving, helping and protecting one another. Where Is Harold and Toni Henthorns Daughter Now. Harold was usually cheery, often irrepressibly so. In fact, the Defendant has never been unlucky; only the Defendants wives have been unlucky with their untimely and obscure deaths. In each case, the Defendant made arrangements to be a lucky recipient of significant benefits from those deathshis own version a post mortem lottery. In 2000, Harold Henthorn married eye doctor Toni Bertolet after they met on a Christian dating website. Storyline Colorado, 2001: Toni Bertolet Henthorn, a doctor and mother, falls from a cliff in the Rockies. I would not go anywhere alone with this man.. Bertolet said, "There's no doubt he paid for his defense with Toni's money.". His second wife Toni died in 2012 after a fall during a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. The Defendant only made withdrawals and made no deposits in the lives of his wives and their families. To another he said it wasnt him Lynn was actually rescued by a random group of helpful strangers. 10-year-old Henthorn daughter now ward of uncle - The Denver Post 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. At first glance, it wasnt even apparent that it was a case. After a careers worth of experience, Roberts told Detective Weaver that she could confidently say the accident scene that took Lynns life and the behavior of her husband were the most unusual she had ever come across. I dont think that was an accident at all, she said, sitting on a bed next to Toni. 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. It seemed to be a tragic accident. Toni always carried the pain of a loss, but she also knew what those tragic moments taught her as a person. Barry Bertolet, Toni Henthorn's brother addresses the media following the guilty verdict (credit: CBS), Harold and Toni Henthorn (courtesy to CBS), Watch the CBS4 special "Inside The Investigation: Harold Henthorn. At that time, her death was quickly deemed an accident. 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. Montoya eventually got so fed up with the fact that Harold wouldnt help warm up his freezing, near-death wife that she used her own coat and left it at the scene once she and her family realized the police were almost there. How does she know that grief and sadness will not fall upon her again at the hands of a person she trusted? Bundy was recognized for being very charming but also killed more than 30 young women. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". But the rescue team couldnt make it to their position in time, and Toni died. Toni Henthorn was a skilled ophthalmologist and loving mother. Grief means coping, emptiness, adjusting, loss, and sadness. In photographs released by the US Attorney's Office after the. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. On looking back, authorities realized that they had failed to follow up on numerous leads regarding Lynns death, including the partial footprint found on the Jeeps tire. And that was the end of the story, except for one detail: according to investigator Robert McMahan, On the front passenger fender of the vehicle, right behind the wheel well of the missing wheel, was an apparent partial foot print type mark. Meaning it looked like someone had tried to kick the car off its jack. PostedNovember 18, 2014 Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. It took the jury about 10 hours to find Harold Henthorn, 59, guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his second wife, a wealthy Mississippi native. 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. All of this led to the filing of murder charges last week. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Gacy was a popular Chicago contractor who entertained children in hospitals, yet also raped, tortured, and killed 33 young men. This case has revealed more than just the circumstances behind the wrongful death of Toni Bertolet Henthorn; it has also revealed the ugly truth of the extent of the deceitfulness of the Defendant.The Defendant is the evil that lurked in unthinkable places to manipulate his way into Tonis life as well as others of her character. Dateline Toni Henthorn, Harold Henrhorn's 37-year-old wife, was killed in October 2015. 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. 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. Yvonne always considered Toni the best birthday present she ever received. His attorney, Craig Truman, said prosecutors failed to prove he killed her. The Defendant blamed the press for exposing the truth and destroying his scam and lies to the community in which he lived under false pretense. var scJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? We are hoping that you have no more nights, no more pain, no more tears with the Heavenly Father. In the document, he implied that. Employee communication . Within less than a week, Douglas Countys coroner declared Lynn Henthorns death an accident. I am haunted by my wifes lament: When Toni died, I died. 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. That detail led to a much closer investigation of Tonis death. Colorado Man Convicted of Killing Wife on Fatal Anniversary Hike - NBC News 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. The Idol: How HBOs Next Euphoria Became Twisted Torture Porn A jury convicted Henthorn of murder in 2015 after about 10 and a half hours of deliberation. The show even traced the subsequent investigation, focusing on the authorities as they cast their net around the murderer. var sc_security="9a0f0d6e"; No. 'Lethal love': Harold Henthorn had two wives. Both died in bizarre How Psychologically Conditioned Rats Are Defusing Landmines, The Innate Intelligence Observed in the Dying Process. In 1994, Henthorn was arrested for shoplifting $47.49 worth of men's underwear from a JCPenney store. Harold Henthorn Convicted Wife Killer May 2022 Court Appeal - Westword The Defendant evidently perceived a strong and viable mother / daughter relationship as a threat to his authority in his warped world. In the process of his own investigation, Detective Weaver discovered that no officer had called the restaurant where Harold claimed, at least in one version of his story, he and Lynn had eaten before the accident. 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. 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. It had been a full day, and the sun had set. After a few years sharpening his golf game Weaver got bored and applied for a job in Douglas, the county just to the south. They also would have discovered that the amount was so high because Harold had changed the policy. 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. Black Widower: How One Man Allegedly Murdered Two Wives Incidentally, the highway was quite deserted at that time of the year and did not witness much traffic. She was a beautiful hazel-eyed blonde Southern Belle who excelled in academics, sports, music and leadership. Shortly before her death, the change Harold made allowed for double the compensation if Lynn died as a result of an accident. I know he killed her, he says. CBS4 Investigator Brian Maass has been with the station more than 30 years uncovering waste, fraud and corruption. She chose ophthalmology, because to look into ones eyes draws a dedication and commitment to the person observed. Phone calls and emails from CBS4 to Mackey were not returned. 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. She called the Sheriffs office the next day to ask where she could pick up the coat. Technically Weaver wasnt even supposed to be a detective. As an ophthalmologist, Tonis commitment was her recurring choice to make a positive difference in the lives of so many. 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. 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. Related By Kirk Mitchell. 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. Stranger still was Harolds behavior on phone calls. He had done a lot: Two tours in Vietnam, a return to the country to help evacuate Saigon and 20 years patrolling Air Force bases. Henthorn was indicted on Nov. 6 in the death of his second wife, who fell to her death while hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park. To others he said the flat tire actually bounced out; it was the spare, which he said he loosened, that fell and provided the impact necessary to jolt the Jeep off its moorings and crush his wife. He was careful and methodical and knew how to navigate the choppy waters of bureaucracy even when it came to the toughest cases. In September of 2015, three years after the incident, a jury found Harold Henthorn guilty of first-degree murder in the case of Toni Henthorns death. The case now before Weaver was different, though. 48 Hours examines the case of Harold Henthorn whose wives died 17 years apart in supposedly freak accidents. Harold was convicted of first-degree murder, and in 2015 was sentenced to life in federal prison. It is often said that when a brilliant mind, talent, and heart come together as one, one should expect a Masterpiece. The Defendant claimed to be financially wealthy, when, in fact he had no fortune at all. Harold Henthorn - Chilling Crimes Stories About Harold Henthorn - CBS Colorado The Defendant is neither a good father nor a replacement for a loving mother. The Defendant vilified and chastised each Good Samaritan and rescuer that attempted to come to the aid of his critically injured wives; aid which he never gave nor intended to give. Harold Henthorn was a grieving widower. document.write("