The Defendant proclaimed to be a Christian man when in fact he was an immoral man. Following the death of his first wife, Harold married a second time after meeting Dr. Toni Jill Bertolet Henthorn on a dating site. Thus, Harold Henthorn is currently serving his life sentence at the Terre Haute United States Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana. Case closed. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Not only for the death of the wife hed just lost, but for the one whod died so many years before. We agonize over the question: Did Toni know she was being murdered and what were her thoughts as she fell 140 feet? Then came more subtle attempts to choke off any contact Toni might have with those who loved her. Yvonne wanted Toni to say something, anything. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC. Toni always carried the pain of a loss, but she also knew what those tragic moments taught her as a person. He had no real mentor to help him, Weaver said recently, in his first public comments since his retirement in August. Employee communication . A federal jury on Monday convicted a man of murder for pushing his wife off a cliff as they hiked in Colorado to celebrate their wedding anniversary. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Harold Henthorn, and his wife Toni.. "Toni was either a blessing to the people that surrounded her or a lesson to those that she mentored. In the text, Harold claimed that Toni had fallen off a cliff and was critically injured. Yvonne had spent more than a decade suppressing her motherly intuition about Harold so that her daughter would be spared the consequences. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 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. I know he killed her, he says. The stories he told police werent at all consistent. 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. Family, friends and co-workers were convinced Harold Henthorn was responsible for his wife's death. How does she know that the person she chooses loves her for who she is and not for her wealth and lifestyle? The letter was from the Department of the Interior, which oversees every one of the countrys 417 national parks. Andaccording to Haroldhe was putting the old tire in the trunk, with Sandra underneath the car, when the car slipped off its jack and crushed her. Incidentally, the highway was quite deserted at that time of the year and did not witness much traffic. The Defendants so called estate planning banked on and invested heavily in the premature demise of his wife. Not long after that he found what a lot of good detectives manage to find: a mantra. There was something else, too, buried inside the file. Harold Henthorn, and his wife Toni.. She died on the operating room after being flown to the hospital in a helicopter. In 2019, he filed a petition for a writ of certiorari, urging the U.S. Supreme Court to investigate the matter, which was again denied. Toni. Her husband calls 911 but she dies and, at first, it seems like an accident. September 23, 2015 / 11:02 PM He was 50 when his wife Toni passed away. 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. In spite of Tonis efforts, the little boy died having succumbed to his injuries. We feel some of the information in the article is misrepresented or incorrect, Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock toldRolling Stone in a statement, but we still have an ongoing criminal investigation and are not at liberty to discuss the case any further.). Henthorn told investigators that his wife paused to take a photo of the view and fell face-first over the ledge. 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. Sandra's death is now being re-investigated more thoroughly by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. The Defendants entire adult life was a lie and scam to live his life and lifestyle while others paid the price. The couple seemed quite happy initially and even gave birth to their only child, Haley, in 2005. But for us, there will be, forever in this life, the pain and tears, maybe not seen by others, for our daughter, killed in a cruel, sadistic, senseless and cowardly act of violence.On September 29, 2012, the family as a whole decided on a course of action, not believing that the tragedy was an accident. 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. 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. As always, Dateline NBC will use experts, law enforcement officials, and friends and family members to shape the story. 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. As Warren Buffet stated, Honesty is a very expensive gift. She was in immense pain and had numbness in her fingers when she was taken by ambulance to the ER. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". The spring night was cold and Lynn was only wearing a t-shirt. It had been a full day, and the sun had set. 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 Sheriffs Office grew with it, from a few dozen to some 500 employees. Henthorn had been living a lie for years. All Rights reserved. My name is Bob Bertolet, father of the victim, Toni Bertolet 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. 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. After years of trying, the two managed to have a daughter, Haley. 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. Harold was convicted of first-degree murder, and in 2015 was sentenced to life in federal prison. The Douglas County Sheriffs employees registered Harolds conflicting statements and made note of the strange fact that the spare tire he said he was going to use was barely more inflated than the one he was removing. Here's everything to know about them. Henthorn was able to persuade police his first wife died as the result of a tragic accident. Although Toni lived near her family in Mississippi and was a well-established opthalmologist, Harold persuaded her to leave her roots behind and move with him to Colorado. David Lindley, Multi-Instrumentalist Who Shaped the Sound of Soft Rock, Dead at 78 According to the show, Tonis family passed a statement claiming that their daughter was quite disturbed in the days leading up to her passing. Prosecutors and authorities learned that before Tonis death, she had been subjected twice to injuries allegedly caused by a wooden beam. 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. She told Toni that Harold may have even been having an affair. 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. When that didnt work, he threw it a little harder. The case now before Weaver was different, though. 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. How does she know that a trusted person is not lying to her? 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. var scJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? Eventually, Harold is arrested and convicted of first-degree murder. He was careful and methodical and knew how to navigate the choppy waters of bureaucracy even when it came to the toughest cases. 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. Trending 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. To one cop, Harold said he and Lynn ate dinner at a nearby restaurant just prior to the accident. The innocence of a child should not be violated by evil within and, more importantly, evil within a trusted family unit. They even uncovered a startling fact: Harold was already a criminal. How does she know that grief and sadness will not fall upon her again at the hands of a person she trusted? 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. The Defendant deserves the sentence of this Court as he has worked his entire adult life earning the same. I am haunted by my wifes lament: When Toni died, I died. Nor did the coroners office report whether the contents of Lynns stomach indicated one story was more plausible than the other. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Reached this week, Rob Henthorn declined to discuss the half million dollars and referred questions to his attorney, Pam Mackey. 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. On September 29, 2012, the couple was hiking at Rocky Mountain National Park when Tonis brother received a chilling text. 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. And, ultimately, the investigation rattled Harold. We can only hope to learn more as the trial kicks into gear. 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. Toni Henthorn was a skilled ophthalmologist and loving mother. But I would be very careful. 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. Tonis brother Barry Bertolet spoke at the sentencing. Then came the incident at the cabin. Can Humans Detect Text by AI Chatbot GPT? She was deeply religious-teaching Sunday school, singing in both college and church choirs. Earnings for Henthorn were in 1993, 1999, and 2000, but nothing after that. 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. The Defendant demeaned the investigative authorities for uncovering his murder and sinister intentions. Then, he said, he saw nothing but a blurand Toni was no longer standing there. A true parent places a childs needs above their own selfish wants. 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. What kind of mind thinks like that to kill based on an opportunity? Harold Henthorn, 59, was convicted of one count of first-degree murder in the 2012 death of his second wife, Dr. Toni Henthorn. He probably could have continued to live that lie, but if he did this, then greed got the best of him. 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. 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. 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 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. All of this led to the filing of murder charges last week. On September 29, 2012, Harold and Toni Henthorn went for a hike at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. ", After the jury was dismissed, applause erupted in the courtroom. Maybe even that she would leave Harold. She told Toni she thought Harold wasnt working as much as he said he was, if at all. We ask: How could money be so important to a man, that he would kill the mother of his seven year old daughter? No. The Defendant only made withdrawals and made no deposits in the lives of his wives and their families. 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! Something wasnt right, and Yvonne wanted to talk with Toni. Harold was later sentenced to life in federal prison. Did You Know Anxiety Can Enhance Our Relationships? Related 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. Maybe it wasnt the most critical detail. 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. How Psychologically Conditioned Rats Are Defusing Landmines, The Innate Intelligence Observed in the Dying Process. 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. Reviewed by Ekua Hagan. Finally, Detective Weaver took his foot and, in the same place where the original partial print was found, kicked the Jeep. The Defendant claimed to be financially wealthy, when, in fact he had no fortune at all. But was it an accident? 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. 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. Bundy was recognized for being very charming but also killed more than 30 young women. I would not go anywhere alone with this man.. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. That woman on the mountain, she said. 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. The show even traced the subsequent investigation, focusing on the authorities as they cast their net around the murderer. 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. That saying served him well working sex crimes for most of a decade. Yvonne always considered Toni the best birthday present she ever received. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. On May 6, 1995, Harold and Sandra were driving home after a day of hiking. Harold told her he was a wealthy businessman who fundraised for schools and Churches. The Bertolets could sense that Toni was unhappy but felt there was little they could do about it. Gacy was a popular Chicago contractor who entertained children in hospitals, yet also raped, tortured, and killed 33 young men. We are hoping that you have no more nights, no more pain, no more tears with the Heavenly Father. The camera he and his wife were passing back and forth had no photos on it. But the rescue team couldnt make it to their position in time, and Toni died. They can keep it under control most of the time, but sometimes when the opportunity arises, they strike. Harold and Toni Henthorn Toni and Harold met online in 1999 and married just nine months later. She was 10 when her mother, Toni was pushed off the cliff. Technically Weaver wasnt even supposed to be a detective. A jury convicted Henthorn of murder in 2015 after about 10 and a half hours of deliberation. Phone calls and emails from CBS4 to Mackey were not returned. 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. 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. 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. The strange saga of Henthorn and his two ill-fated wives began back in the spring of 1995. 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. As fate would have it, the couples Jeep Cherokee suddenly had a problem with one of its tires in the middle of the road. 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. He needed things done his way something that was becoming more and more evident with each passing day. 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. Little did Harold Henthorns friends and neighbors know of the terrible secret he had been hiding for most of his married life. One night, something happened at that cabin that left Toni recovering in a hospital bed. Follow him on Twitter @Briancbs4. After all, his first wife had also died under unusual circumstances, although her death was immediately ruled an accident. Toni had a profound effect on people with her care, having been consistently described by her patients and their families as that of an Angel and a Godsend in the time of need. The Harold Henthorn-Toni Henthorn murder case will be aired on the latest episode of 48 Hours. 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. "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. ", VIDEO:Watch the CBS4 special "Inside The Investigation: Harold Henthorn. 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. At trial, the coroner testified that Tonis lipstick hadnt been mussed, meaning Harold hadnt actually performed CPR. She was a beautiful hazel-eyed blonde Southern Belle who excelled in academics, sports, music and leadership. His second wife had $4.5 million in life insurance. Instead, it appears he risked it all for some insurance compensation. Dateline Toni Henthorn, Harold Henrhorn's 37-year-old wife, was killed in October 2015. Still, Harold persisted in his innocence, and in 2017 he filed an appeal for a retrial, which was subsequently denied. Her brother, Todd Bertolet, after learning about the theft arrest, said, "I'm blown away. After a few years sharpening his golf game Weaver got bored and applied for a job in Douglas, the county just to the south. The sentence to be handed down by this court is the only result that the Defendant has actually earned in his adult life. "); These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Harold said Toni got a text message from the babysitter, letting her know that her daughters soccer team had won. Bob Bertolet, Tonis father, and Todd Bertolet, her younger brother, read the following victim impact statements at Harolds sentencing. It went on like this for years, with occasional sunbreaks, moments when both Harold and Tonis moods improved and the union seemed salvageable. After all, they had been witness to Harolds efforts at trying to alienate his second wife from her close ones. To the young man facing total blindness from an injury requiring the skilled hands of a surgeon, Tonis life mattered and was indispensable. 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Alex Murdaugh Found Guilty of Murdering Wife and Son. Harold Henthorn is 60 years old as he was born on January 10, 1962. To the young person contemplating committing suicide in need of compassion and skillful guidance, Tonis life mattered and was indispensable. 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 claimed that one of the cars tires felt mushy, and pulled over to change it. 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. A partial footprint wasnt necessarily evidence of anything. If you want to know more about this baffling case and where Harold Henthorn is today, we have you covered. Her greatest asset was her ability to feel what others were feeling. The Defendant claimed to have a career and business, when, in fact he had neither. Detective Weaver now had no doubts. 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. This has nothing to do with borderline personality disorder. He was indicted on first-degree murder charges earlier this month in the second death and officials believe he is. His attorney, Craig Truman, said prosecutors failed to prove he killed her. We can forgive a child for being afraid of the dark, but we cannot forgive the darkness of selfish desolation that lies within the Defendants heart.The Defendant would have us erroneously believe that he is an unlucky man, a hard luck husband, and a person in which lightning has tragically struck twice. The lies? However, his first wife, Lynn . The Defendant preyed on women of faith in a Christian environment because, as with Toni, Christian women move forward in life with goodness in their heart as opposed to vigilance in their eyes. 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. 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. That she would take it to heart. Of all the titles that the Defendant has bestowed upon himself without merit, the title of Murderer, bequeathed by the jury, is the only title that the Defendant has earned. The 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 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. If you would like to donate, you can visit www.umc.edu/tonibertoletendowment. He slammed the tailgate. 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. Their only daughter was gone. Only then did it come crashing down. Harold Henthorn was a grieving widower. He was older. The Defendant claimed to be a provider, when, in fact he offered and gave nothing. Toni Henthorn's brother, Todd Bertolet, told CBS4, "They're going to go after assets that should be in Toni's estate." Todd Bertolet, Toni Henthorn's brother said, "That was what was so odd. He pushed her.. From the time of Tonis death, the Defendant has made it abundantly clear that he just wanted to move on with his life. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. He's 38 years old, a married, religious person and he's shoplifting underwear in JCPenney." They had lunch together, and headed down a nearby ridge to take pictures, passing the camera back and forth all the while. Similar to his first wifes death, Harold Henthorn began showing inconsistencies in his statements, but the police were cautious this time. Harold Henthorn, accused of pushing his second wife to her death in Rocky Mountain National Park, is being eyed in the 1995 death of his first wife. Their grandchild was now in the care of the man they believed to be her killer.
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