I dont think that was an accident at all, she said, sitting on a bed next to Toni. 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. "Certainly those weren't my sister's wishes," said Bertolet of Harold Henthorn spending his wife's money to fight charges that he killed her. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". It is often said that when a brilliant mind, talent, and heart come together as one, one should expect a Masterpiece. 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. That she would take it to heart. How does she know that grief and sadness will not fall upon her again at the hands of a person she trusted? The Defendant claimed to be a provider, when, in fact he offered and gave nothing. 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Henthorn had been living a lie for years. 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. The Defendant demeaned the investigative authorities for uncovering his murder and sinister intentions. Prosecutors said Harold. 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. 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. Her dreams seemed to come true when she met Harold. 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. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Additionally, the police ascertained that Harold stood to gain substantial life insurance money following Tonis demise, which gave him a motive for murder. 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. In December, Toni Bertolet's husband, Harold Henthorn, received a mandatory life sentence for her death. 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. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Toni Bertolet Henthorns life was a masterpiece and role model to those who were fortunate to be a part of her life. Little did Harold Henthorns friends and neighbors know of the terrible secret he had been hiding for most of his married life. Reached this week, Rob Henthorn declined to discuss the half million dollars and referred questions to his attorney, Pam Mackey. Earnings for Henthorn were in 1993, 1999, and 2000, but nothing after that. Haley Henthorn is the daughter of Harold Henthorn. The Defendant claimed to be financially wealthy, when, in fact he had no fortune at all. 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. In photographs released by the US Attorney's Office after the. To the young medical physician in need of an accomplished mentor to guide a promising medical career, Tonis life mattered and was indispensable. If he is ultimately convicted of murder, he will face a mandatory life sentence with no possibility of parole. The money was purportedly for a business investment, according to evidence presented at an earlier federal court hearing. After a few years sharpening his golf game Weaver got bored and applied for a job in Douglas, the county just to the south. Overwhelmed by the loss of the child, Toni never wanted to see the hurt in another persons eyes, much less a childs eyes. Shatterdaymorn Plot summary Add synopsis Genres In the document, he implied that. 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. In 2000, Harold Henthorn married eye doctor Toni Bertolet after they met on a Christian dating website. He was careful and methodical and knew how to navigate the choppy waters of bureaucracy even when it came to the toughest cases. 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. 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. 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. 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. Toni Bertolet Henthorn died after she was pushed off a cliff during an anniversary hike in Rock Mountain National Park. Toni worked long and hard in pursuing her goal of being an ophthalmologist. There was something else, too, buried inside the file. She called the Sheriffs office the next day to ask where she could pick up the coat. 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. ", After the jury was dismissed, applause erupted in the courtroom. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". statements about the tragedy kept changing. September 23, 2015 / 11:02 PM She had insurance policies, and Henthorn collected $496,000 from her death. The case now before Weaver was different, though. 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 sent to him in 2014 by his brother Harold Henthorn. Tonis family, though, did not have a high opinion of Harold and suspected foul play after her death. 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. He said he believed Henthorn's brother, who lives in Massachusetts, was served Monday in Denver federal court because "'obviously they knew he was there.". Harold had her body cremated, scattered the ashes on Colorados Red Mountain, and collected the $500,000 life insurance payout from the plan she had recently signed up for. 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. 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. In the text, Harold claimed that Toni had fallen off a cliff and was critically injured. 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. 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. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. On May 6, 1995, Harold and Sandra were driving home after a day of hiking. Thus, Harold Henthorn is currently serving his life sentence at the Terre Haute United States Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana. 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. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Toni and Harold Henthorn were celebrating their 12th wedding anniversary the weekend when she died. 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 couple seemed quite happy initially and even gave birth to their only child, Haley, in 2005. Bertolet said, "There's no doubt he paid for his defense with Toni's money.". This begs the question, why was he deceiving himself? To Detective Weaver, it was just one sign among many that the investigation was botched from the beginning. (When reached for comment, the Douglas County Sheriffs Department disputed this characterization, but said they could not elaborate. Within less than a week, Douglas Countys coroner declared Lynn Henthorns death an accident. They couldnt talk about Harold on the phone, since every call with her was also a call with him. 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. Harold Henthorn flanked by first wife Lynn and second wife Toni. She told Toni she thought Harold wasnt working as much as he said he was, if at all. Although Harold pleaded not guilty at his trial, the jury did not deliberate long before pronouncing him guilty. Detective Weaver heard something similar from Rebecca Roberts. Now he needed an answer to a question that was gnawing at him. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. 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. He had seen a lot. He found a Jeep Cherokee similar to the one that fell on Lynn and went about trying to recreate the scenario that killed her. Detective Weaver discovered that there were multiple witnesses to the accidents aftermath who were never contacted. He was constantly talking, often bragging, and always had to be the center of attention. That detail led to a much closer investigation of Tonis death. The Idol: How HBOs Next Euphoria Became Twisted Torture Porn 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. January 10th was one day short of her mothers birthday on January 11th. The spring night was cold and Lynn was only wearing a t-shirt. IE 11 is not supported. Did you arrest the husband yet? shed asked. According to Henthorn, he said a tire felt "spongy," so he pulled off the road to change it. However, Harold kept insisting on his innocence and in 2017 appealed for a retrial which was subsequently shot down. Her brother, Todd Bertolet, after learning about the theft arrest, said, "I'm blown away. Knowing what you value will help you build the most meaningful life possible. var sc_project=9846729; 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. He was able to hide the fact that he didn't work, even though he maintained for years that he did. To another he said it wasnt him Lynn was actually rescued by a random group of helpful strangers. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Similar to his first wifes death, Harold Henthorn began showing inconsistencies in his statements, but the police were cautious this time. She was a volunteer with the West Douglas County Fire Department who arrived on scene shortly after Montoya left. On May 6 of that year, Henthorn and his first wife, Sandra Lynn, were driving through the dark. Harold owned a little house in the mountains west of Denver and took Toni and Haley there often. He needed things done his way something that was becoming more and more evident with each passing day. 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. Dateline airs Friday nights at 9 PM on NBC. "We are overjoyed with the verdict and relieved this won't happen to any other lady," said Barry Bertolet, Toni Henthorn's brother. And, ultimately, the investigation rattled Harold. : "http://www. Storyline Edit 48 Hours re-examines and updates the case of Harold Henthorn whose wives Lynn and Toni died 17 years apart in what were supposedly freak accidents. In 1995, long before Weaver ever stepped foot in Douglas County, a woman died on the side of a dark road on a cold night. Harold Henthorn, 59, was convicted of one count of first-degree murder in the 2012 death of his second wife, Dr. Toni Henthorn. 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. At trial, the coroner testified that Tonis lipstick hadnt been mussed, meaning Harold hadnt actually performed CPR. She was an eye surgeon. 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.Todd Bertolet. ". Toni was a successful eye surgeon yet she wanted nothing more than to be in a loving marriage and have a family. But was it an accident? A jury convicted Henthorn of murder in 2015 after about 10 and a half hours of deliberation. What kind of mind thinks like that to kill based on an opportunity? In photographs released by the US Attorney's Office after the. For most of their lives, Toni and her mother Yvonne had been best friends. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. He insisted at both the verdict and the sentencing that he would appeal the decision. He pushed her, said Tonis father, Bob. She wanted her to say that she would listen to her mothers warning. 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. At first glance, it wasnt even apparent that it was a case. Bob Bertolet, Tonis father, and Todd Bertolet, her younger brother, read the following victim impact statements at Harolds sentencing. Initially, the couple appeared ecstatic in their new life and were happy with each other. Jul 26, 2017 Slain Woman's Ashes Returned 4 Years After Murder. His second wife had $4.5 million in life insurance. They also would have discovered that the amount was so high because Harold had changed the policy. (Photo credits: Harold Henthorn case update via Dateline, Tyler Cipriani) At that time, her death was quickly deemed an accident. Then came more subtle attempts to choke off any contact Toni might have with those who loved her. The bad guy is the Defendant, and the evil that our children must now comprehend came from within the family in the form of a parent and an uncle. The U.S. Attorney's crime auditor testified last week that Henthorn had no employment and no steady source of income. "She contributed a lot to society, and to be wiped out for no good reason, it's more devastating." We agonize over the question: Did Toni know she was being murdered and what were her thoughts as she fell 140 feet? Get the help you need from a therapist near youa FREE service from Psychology Today. The Bertolets found it odd that long after shed ceased to be a baby, Harold kept a video monitor running in his daughters room. Harold, in contrast to all those grieving family members, had been calm. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 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. Black Widower: How One Man Allegedly Murdered Two Wives. | Harold Henthorn and Toni Henthorn tied the knot in 2000. Do it carefully, not quickly, was Weavers. Lynn Henthorns death was a tragedy, not a crime. 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. Grief means coping, emptiness, adjusting, loss, and sadness. How else to explain all the strangeness? These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. But, as the lead investigator would later testify to in court, theyd never checked the print against the shoes to see if they were a match. 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. After all, they had been witness to Harolds efforts at trying to alienate his second wife from her close ones. I know he killed her, he says. After meeting on a Christian dating website, the two got in touch and connected over their love for religion. A chance to speak frankly with her daughter was something she hadnt had for a long time and Yvonne didnt waste it. Harold was later sentenced to life in federal prison. Now those cops had a message for Douglas County: You need to go take a second look at something you thought you were done with. She was in immense pain and had numbness in her fingers when she was taken by ambulance to the ER. Reviewed by Ekua Hagan. To another he said it was merely spongy. DENVER - A Colorado man accused of killing his wife by pushing her off a cliff has been found guilty, CBS Denver reports. Now that Toni was home by herself in Mississippi, Yvonne could no longer hold her tongue. Case closed. He slammed the tailgate. He took away one jack and ran through the whole scenario again. But I would be very careful. Even after shed fallen asleep, Harold found a way to keep his eye on his only child. She chose ophthalmology, because to look into ones eyes draws a dedication and commitment to the person observed. She had already suffered through one previous marriage, and her parents knew that her deepening faith and the fact that she and Harold now had a child of their own meant it was unlikely she would ever choose to divorce him. (This was also brought up in court.) 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Several of the jurors spoke with the Denver Post following the verdict, and one jurors comment summed their thinking up maybe better than any other. 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. A former rural ranching community turned, nearly overnight, into one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. The Jeep was then salvaged. 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. 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. So Yvonne continued with a final warning. 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. Where Is Harold and Toni Henthorns Daughter Now. Toni Henthorn fell to her death off a cliff while hiking with her husband, Harold. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 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. Feds say Henthorn pushed his wife over a cliff at Rocky Mountain National Park. During the initial investigation, Detective Weavers colleagues had found some inconsistencies. 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. Even though Harold had money, he refused to travel with Toni back to the South. Harold Henthorn, 59, was convicted of one count of first-degree murder in the 2012 death of his second wife, Dr. Toni Henthorn. Finally, Detective Weaver took his foot and, in the same place where the original partial print was found, kicked the Jeep. Henthorn shook his head when the judge polled the jury, and after the verdict was read, one of the jurors hugged Toni Henthorn's mother, Yvonne Bertolet. Nothing budged the car. The Defendant chose his own selfishness and greed over the needs of his family. In 1994, Henthorn was arrested for shoplifting $47.49 worth of men's underwear from a JCPenney store. They even uncovered a startling fact: Harold was already a criminal. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 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.