Grief doesnt move on and doesnt end for those that are loved. 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. His second wife Toni died in 2012 after a fall during a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. 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. Nice, right? 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. I will never celebrate my birthday again. Yvonne and I will never again hear Toni say, Hi Momma, Hi Daddy, this is Sissy.We hear you, Sissy, in our hearts. Bob and Yvonne watched as Harold slowly took control of Tonis life. As always, Dateline NBC will use experts, law enforcement officials, and friends and family members to shape the story. 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. ", After the jury was dismissed, applause erupted in the courtroom. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. For a time, she wondered if she would ever be able to perform another operation. The Sheriffs Office grew with it, from a few dozen to some 500 employees. 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. 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. Can Humans Detect Text by AI Chatbot GPT? Police investigators, however, believe that Harold murdered them. 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 . Dateline airs Friday nights at 9 PM on NBC. His attorney, Craig Truman, said prosecutors failed to prove he killed her. Before becoming a detective hed spent decades moving his wife from base to base. Following the death of his first wife, Harold married a second time after meeting Dr. Toni Jill Bertolet Henthorn on a dating site. 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. In photographs released by the US Attorney's Office after the. A jury convicted him of murdering his second wife, Toni Bertolet, based on evidence that he murdered his first wife, Sandra 'Lynn' Henthorn. The couple seemed quite happy initially and even gave birth to their only child, Haley, in 2005. At the bottom it reads: In Loving Memory, January 10, 1962-September 29, 2012. She was deeply religious-teaching Sunday school, singing in both college and church choirs. Henthorn has sociopathic tendencies, without doubt, but what makes this so challenging is that a murderer is typically not a sociopath. In the document, he implied that. Initially, the couple appeared ecstatic in their new life and were happy with each other. To one cop, Harold said that they were driving east. Toni was not a life form on this Earth with wings and halo; she was a grounded person living an everyday life while doing remarkable deeds that touched peoples lives.Remarkable deeds didnt always shield Toni from the heartaches and losses seen in the practice of medicine, but those heartaches and losses defined and elevated her compassion and care. 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. 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. Harold Henthorn and Toni Henthorn tied the knot in 2000. 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. The U.S. Attorney's crime auditor testified last week that Henthorn had no employment and no steady source of income. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. To one cop, Harold said the tire they pulled over to change was completely flat. 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 spring night was cold and Lynn was only wearing a t-shirt. One night, something happened at that cabin that left Toni recovering in a hospital bed. January 10th was one day short of her mothers birthday on January 11th. But at the time of Lynns death, there were only five detectives covering an area half the size of Rhode Island. September 23, 2015 / 11:02 PM Something wasnt right, and Yvonne wanted to talk with Toni. 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. The Defendants so called estate planning banked on and invested heavily in the premature demise of his wife. Henthorn was able to persuade police his first wife died as the result of a tragic accident. Bundy was recognized for being very charming but also killed more than 30 young women. Perhaps the most difficult part to understand is that Henthorn had it made. In 2000, Harold Henthorn married eye doctor Toni Bertolet after they met on a Christian dating website. I am haunted by my wifes lament: When Toni died, I died. The Idol: How HBOs Next Euphoria Became Twisted Torture Porn Shortly before her death, the change Harold made allowed for double the compensation if Lynn died as a result of an accident. He had seen a lot. After years of trying, the two managed to have a daughter, Haley. 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. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. I would not go anywhere alone with this man.. Family, friends and co-workers were convinced Harold Henthorn was responsible for his wife's death. You do with this what you want to. 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. A portrait artist once said that it is only when the details of eyes are revealed that the observer becomes committed to the face and person before them. I know he killed her, he says. The travel for work that didnt seem, to Yvonne at least, to be real? Phone calls and emails from CBS4 to Mackey were not returned. Then, when she found out that Lynn had died, she asked the follow-up question, the one record of her that still remained in the case file and made it clear how she felt about Harold. The Defendant claimed to be a provider, when, in fact he offered and gave nothing. The basic facts of the case are these. 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. 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. In fact, the Defendant has never been unlucky; only the Defendants wives have been unlucky with their untimely and obscure deaths. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Harold Henthorn talked to many different members of Douglas County law enforcement on May 6th, 1995, the night his wife Lynn died after being crushed underneath their Jeep Cherokee. He slammed the tailgate. 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. After all, they had been witness to Harolds efforts at trying to alienate his second wife from her close ones. He was 50 when his wife Toni passed away. Trending There was something else, too, buried inside the file. Prosecutors and police. This begs the question, why was he deceiving himself? He had no real mentor to help him, Weaver said recently, in his first public comments since his retirement in August. In photographs released by the US Attorney's Office after the. Sandra's death is now being re-investigated more thoroughly by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. 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. IE 11 is not supported. Black Widower: How One Man Allegedly Murdered Two Wives. At trial, the coroner testified that Tonis lipstick hadnt been mussed, meaning Harold hadnt actually performed CPR. (Photo credits: Harold Henthorn case update via Dateline, Tyler Cipriani) But the rescue team couldnt make it to their position in time, and Toni died. The show even traced the subsequent investigation, focusing on the authorities as they cast their net around the murderer. 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Her husband's past is probed and deadly secrets are revealed. While Toni lived her life to inspire people, the Defendant lived his life to drain people, and he represents a human debt that can never be reimbursed. 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. Yet it was hard for the Bertolets not to notice that so much about Harold seemed not to make sense. Alex Murdaugh Found Guilty of Murdering Wife and Son. "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. The Defendant chose his own selfishness and greed over the needs of his family. They can keep it under control most of the time, but sometimes when the opportunity arises, they strike. The Bertolets hoped life might get better for Toni with the birth of Haley in 2005, but found, to their dismay, that things only got worse. The Harold Henthorn-Toni Henthorn murder case will be aired on the latest episode of 48 Hours. Harold Henthorn had taken out three life insurance policies totaling $4.5 million before the death of his wife, Toni, on Sept. 29, 2012. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. It would have been, except that Toni plunged down a 50-foot cliff to her death. Haley Henthorn is the daughter of Harold Henthorn. 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. Overwhelmed by the loss of the child, Toni never wanted to see the hurt in another persons eyes, much less a childs eyes. Technically he was retired. How does she know that grief and sadness will not fall upon her again at the hands of a person she trusted? 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. Yet Toni remained silent. Even though Harold had money, he refused to travel with Toni back to the South. His second wife had $4.5 million in life insurance. Detective Weaver now had no doubts. Hey Mrs. B! Harold would say, using the pet name hed given Yvonne. However, his first wife, Lynn . Tyler Hadley's Killer Party My wife is Yvonne and our two sons are Barry and Todd. 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. It had been a full day, and the sun had set. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. To one cop, Harold said he and Lynn ate dinner at a nearby restaurant just prior to the accident. Her husband, Harold Henthorn, was convicted of first-degree murder in. 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. Weaver was the man for the job because even in a room full of patient people, his patience marked him as different. Tonis brother Barry Bertolet spoke at the sentencing. According to the show, Tonis family passed a statement claiming that their daughter was quite disturbed in the days leading up to her passing. "That was very meaningful," Bertolet said. 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. Harold Henthorn, who shoved second wife off cliff, loses appeal for a new murder trial. And he maintains his innocence. He was able to hide the fact that he didn't work, even though he maintained for years that he did. 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. In the text, Harold claimed that Toni had fallen off a cliff and was critically injured. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The Defendant demeaned the investigative authorities for uncovering his murder and sinister intentions. And that might have been the end of the storywere it not for an anonymous tip to authorities, encouraging them to look at the circumstances of Harolds first wifes death. 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. She told Toni she thought Harold wasnt working as much as he said he was, if at all. But there was something else. This has nothing to do with borderline personality disorder. 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. Investigators searched deeper and found that Henthorn's first wife, Sandra, died in 1995 when their Jeep Cherokee fell on her. Toni was a successful eye surgeon yet she wanted nothing more than to be in a loving marriage and have a family. Jul 26, 2017 Slain Woman's Ashes Returned 4 Years After Murder. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 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. Similar to his first wifes death, Harold Henthorn began showing inconsistencies in his statements, but the police were cautious this time. The Accidental Husband: With Peter Van Sant, Brian Maass, Barry Bertolet, Toni Henthorn. On May 6 of that year, Henthorn and his first wife, Sandra Lynn, were driving through the dark. We ask: How could money be so important to a man, that he would kill the mother of his seven year old daughter? A jury convicted Henthorn of murder in 2015 after about 10 and a half hours of deliberation. Follow him on Twitter @Briancbs4. He had arrived with grand promises, including a claim that he was so rich that Toni would never have to work again. 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. The Defendant is neither a good father nor a replacement for a loving mother. At least that's what he told family, friends, and everyone else. So Yvonne continued with a final warning. No physical evidence remained. And despite her having all the trappings of happiness a big house, a healthy child, a yearly Christmas card detailing everything thatd gone right for them that never seemed to happen. PostedNovember 18, 2014 Taking the aforementioned points into account, the police suspect foul play. Toni Henthorn fell to her death off a cliff while hiking with her husband, Harold. Eventually, Harold is arrested and convicted of first-degree murder. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. He organized playdates with other parents, told Haley when and what to eat, and made it clear to everyone paying attention that he, not Toni, was in charge. 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. Harold Henthorn, 59, was convicted of one count of first-degree murder in the 2012 death of his second wife, Dr. Toni Henthorn. She, like Dr. Henthorn, died in a rural and deserted area. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. Harold was later sentenced to life in federal prison. According to Henthorn, he said a tire felt "spongy," so he pulled off the road to change it. Now that Toni was home by herself in Mississippi, Yvonne could no longer hold her tongue. The family had enough money. 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. He refused to allow Toni to help put Haley to bed at night, insisting that the hour or so before Haley fell asleep was his daddy-daughter time. 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. Harold was convicted of first-degree murder, and in 2015 was sentenced to life in federal prison. The preparation of the Victim Statements by Barry, Todd and myself have helped us move ahead in the journey to recovery.Prepared by Bob Bertolet, October 19, 2015Amended December 5, 2015, My name is Todd Bertolet, and I am the younger brother of Toni Bertolet Henthorn.Toni Bertolet Henthorn was blessed with the gift of intellectual brilliance, impeccable character, extraordinary talents, and a big heart. 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. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". It appeared instead to be a terrible accident. The Defendant only made withdrawals and made no deposits in the lives of his wives and their families. Man Accused in Wife's Deadly Fall Also Killed First Wife: Prosecutor. 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. ", VIDEO:Watch the CBS4 special "Inside The Investigation: Harold Henthorn. He pushed her.. The Defendant claimed to be financially wealthy, when, in fact he had no fortune at all. 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. Only then did it come crashing down. Toni was a medical doctor that had this unique perspective on life, and those moments affirmed her compassionate care and concern for others. document.write("