"Believe it or not I forgive him (Henthorn) for doing it. So Yvonne continued with a final warning. 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. My wife is Yvonne and our two sons are Barry and Todd. statements about the tragedy kept changing. The sentence to be handed down by this court is the only result that the Defendant has actually earned in his adult life. He tossed the flat in the back, as Harold had said hed done in one version of his story. Before becoming a detective hed spent decades moving his wife from base to base. Initially quite respected and thought of as a regular citizen, people who knew Henthorn were shocked after his conviction as a murderer. "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. Henthorn had been in prison since his arrest for Tonis murder in November of 2014 Since then, hes been transferred twice: in March, he went from Colorado to a Federal holding pen in Oklahoma City; then, to the high-security United States Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana. 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. 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. Harold was usually cheery, often irrepressibly so. Alex Murdaugh Found Guilty of Murdering Wife and Son. Her dreams seemed to come true when she met Harold. Technically he was retired. 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. 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. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice James 3:16. Harold Henthorn, 59, was convicted of one count of first-degree murder in the 2012 death of his second wife, Dr. Toni Henthorn. Harold Henthorn, who shoved second wife off cliff, loses appeal for a new murder trial. Harold Hentho He was indicted on first-degree murder charges earlier this month in the second death and officials believe he is. Then, he asked Sandra to come help him. Then came more subtle attempts to choke off any contact Toni might have with those who loved her. Earnings for Henthorn were in 1993, 1999, and 2000, but nothing after that. The travel for work that didnt seem, to Yvonne at least, to be real? 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. Something wasnt right, and Yvonne wanted to talk with Toni. Solutions . 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. 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. The only question was whether Harold Henthorn would ever face any consequences. 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. Yet as soon as she moved to Colorado, Toni was no longer able to speak to her mother alone. He had arrived with grand promises, including a claim that he was so rich that Toni would never have to work again. Yvonne wanted Toni to say something, anything. 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. The spring night was cold and Lynn was only wearing a t-shirt. It's a mandatory sentence for first-degree murder. To the young person contemplating committing suicide in need of compassion and skillful guidance, Tonis life mattered and was indispensable. In each case, the Defendant made arrangements to be a lucky recipient of significant benefits from those deathshis own version a post mortem lottery. Family, friends and co-workers were convinced Harold Henthorn was responsible for his wife's death. 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. If he is ultimately convicted of murder, he will face a mandatory life sentence with no possibility of parole. Jul 26, 2017 Slain Woman's Ashes Returned 4 Years After Murder. 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. Yvonne had spent more than a decade suppressing her motherly intuition about Harold so that her daughter would be spared the consequences. When Detective Weaver called her nearly 20 years later and asked if she had any idea why he, an officer from Douglas County, might be calling out of the blue, Montoyas answer came quick and definitive. 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. var sc_security="9a0f0d6e"; Initially, the couple appeared ecstatic in their new life and were happy with each other. I would not go anywhere alone with this man.. However, Harold kept insisting on his innocence and in 2017 appealed for a retrial which was subsequently shot down. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 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. A true parent places a childs needs above their own selfish wants. There was something else, too, buried inside the file. IE 11 is not supported. 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. After all, they had been witness to Harolds efforts at trying to alienate his second wife from her close ones. 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. Even after shed fallen asleep, Harold found a way to keep his eye on his only child. ", VIDEO:Watch the CBS4 special "Inside The Investigation: Harold Henthorn. Bertolet said, "There's no doubt he paid for his defense with Toni's money.". Although Harold pleaded not guilty at his trial, the jury did not deliberate long before pronouncing him guilty. We ask: How could money be so important to a man, that he would kill the mother of his seven year old daughter? 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.). Toni Henthorn was a skilled ophthalmologist and loving mother. 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. Man Accused in Wife's Deadly Fall Also Killed First Wife: Prosecutor. Friends and family were delighted for the pair, who seemed to be the perfect match. We take solace that prayers are being answeredIn closing, I thank the Court for allowing me to present this Victim Impact Statement. This is "Dateline NBC: Henthorn Case" by Vicky Collins on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. The couple seemed quite happy initially and even gave birth to their only child, Haley, in 2005. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Oh it was nothing, Mrs. B! Harold had insisted on one of their phone calls afterwards. To another he said west. At that time, her death was quickly deemed an accident. Create and promote branded videos, host live events and webinars, and more. It just so happened that every time Bob or Yvonne called their daughter, Harold was the one to answer. We want to hear it. 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. Selena Gomez vs. Hailey Bieber: Why Everyone Thinks They Need to Pick a Side. During the initial investigation, Detective Weavers colleagues had found some inconsistencies. September 23, 2015 / 11:02 PM But all was not as it seemed. Then, he said, he saw nothing but a blurand Toni was no longer standing there. We agonize over the question: Did Toni know she was being murdered and what were her thoughts as she fell 140 feet? The case now before Weaver was different, though. To another he said it was merely spongy. Storyline Colorado, 2001: Toni Bertolet Henthorn, a doctor and mother, falls from a cliff in the Rockies. Did You Know Anxiety Can Enhance Our Relationships? Tonis family, though, did not have a high opinion of Harold and suspected foul play after her death. The basic facts of the case are these. At first glance, it wasnt even apparent that it was a case. Prosecutors said Harold. 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 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time Follow him on Twitter @Briancbs4. Over the course of those dozen years, Bob and Yvonne Bertolet watched their daughter change. The strange saga of Henthorn and his two ill-fated wives began back in the spring of 1995. She was in immense pain and had numbness in her fingers when she was taken by ambulance to the ER. 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. They can keep it under control most of the time, but sometimes when the opportunity arises, they strike. Of Henthorns defense, Peter Christofolo said, It didnt meet the common-sense barometer., It was supposed to be the perfect weekend #Dateline pic.twitter.com/ccPUf1sDEy, Dateline NBC (@DatelineNBC) November 23, 2016, A few weeks later, in early December, a judge handed down the official sentence: life in prison. Henthorn was able to keep his shoplifting arrest a secret from everyone who knew him. The Defendants entire adult life was a lie and scam to live his life and lifestyle while others paid the price. Harold and Toni Henthorn Toni and Harold met online in 1999 and married just nine months later. var scJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? 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. 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. Perhaps the most difficult part to understand is that Henthorn had it made. 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. Her mother, Yvonne Bertolet, says two years since her death, she still finds herself reaching for the phone to call her daughter. Toni. Now that Harold had taken that daughter away from them, however, and made it almost impossible to talk with her, the quirks became decidedly less charming. Bob Bertolet, Tonis father, and Todd Bertolet, her younger brother, read the following victim impact statements at Harolds sentencing. 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. 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. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Then came Harold. Overwhelmed by the loss of the child, Toni never wanted to see the hurt in another persons eyes, much less a childs eyes. Plot summary Add synopsis Genres Documentary News Certificate TV-PG Parents guide Add content advisory They also would have discovered that the amount was so high because Harold had changed the policy. 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. This begs the question, why was he deceiving himself? We are hoping that you have no more nights, no more pain, no more tears with the Heavenly Father. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. After all, his first wife had also died under unusual circumstances, although her death was immediately ruled an accident. Here's everything to know about them. She said she believed Harold was living off of his first wifes life insurance, a death that everyone in the Bertolet family understood to be the result of a tragic car accident. It is unknown when Harold married for the first time, but he and his first wife, Sandra Lynn Henthorn, were together for 12 years before a terrible tragedy affected their seemingly happy lives. On May 6, 1995, Harold and Sandra were driving home after a day of hiking. There were other inconsistencies too. On September 29, 2012, Harold and Toni Henthorn went for a hike at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Nice, right? Little did Harold Henthorns friends and neighbors know of the terrible secret he had been hiding for most of his married life. How does she know that a trusted person is not lying to her? Black Widower: How One Man Allegedly Murdered Two Wives. 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. In photographs released by the US Attorney's Office after the. 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 took away one jack and ran through the whole scenario again. Henthorn was able to persuade police his first wife died as the result of a tragic accident. On September 29, 2012, the couple was hiking at Rocky Mountain National Park when Tonis brother received a chilling text. We grieve that we were not by her side in her dying moments. Henthorn told authorities his wife was busy taking photographs and must have slipped, although he didn't see exactly what happened because he was using his phone at the time. 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. Maybe even that she would leave Harold. They were the first people to witness his incredibly odd behavior the evening his first wife died. Prosecutors and authorities learned that before Tonis death, she had been subjected twice to injuries allegedly caused by a wooden beam. He's 38 years old, a married, religious person and he's shoplifting underwear in JCPenney." She was an eye surgeon. 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. Maybe it wasnt the most critical detail. For some reason, though it was clear she needed their help, Harold yelled at them when they dragged Lynns unconscious body out from underneath the Jeep. var sc_project=9846729; Haley Henthorn is the daughter of Harold Henthorn. Toni Bertolet Henthorn died after she was pushed off a cliff during an anniversary hike in Rock Mountain National Park. Lynns death and Harolds behavior, Montoya told him, were still the creepiest thing Ive ever seen.. And, strangest of all from Montoyas perspective, Harold refused to hand over the coat he was wearing. 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. 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. Special administrators representing Toni Henthorn's estate are trying to recover the money so it eventually benefits Haley Henthorn, Toni Henthorn's daughter, not Harold Henthorn or his brother. Can Humans Detect Text by AI Chatbot GPT? Dateline NBC (@DatelineNBC) November 23, 2016 A few weeks later, in early December, a judge handed down the official sentence: life in prison. 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. (The detective would later testify to this in court.) In the Defendants selfish quest to hoard a child as a possession, he interfered with and severed a sacred relationshipthat of a mothers love for her child and the childs need for the love her mother. To the young medical physician in need of an accomplished mentor to guide a promising medical career, Tonis life mattered and was indispensable. Yet it was hard for the Bertolets not to notice that so much about Harold seemed not to make sense. Toni was a medical doctor that had this unique perspective on life, and those moments affirmed her compassionate care and concern for others. On May 6 of that year, Henthorn and his first wife, Sandra Lynn, were driving through the dark. Bundy was recognized for being very charming but also killed more than 30 young women. Montoya wanted to cover his wife with something warm. First published on September 23, 2015 / 11:02 PM. Toni Bertolet Henthorn died after she was pushed off a cliff during an anniversary hike in Rock Mountain National Park. The Defendant is neither a good father nor a replacement for a loving mother. Technically Weaver wasnt even supposed to be a detective. Grief means coping, emptiness, adjusting, loss, and sadness. We never imagined that murder would come into our lives like a thief in the night. 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. He told them, We are beyond sorry for not seeing through it. She had a passion to console and give advice to those who were in need of direction and comfort. 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. Eventually, Harold is arrested and convicted of first-degree murder. His wife supported him, he didnt work, and he could have continued to live that life forever. Harold couldnt account for how the SUV fell off not one, but the two jacks he said hed used to prop it up. After all, Harold was a respected member of the community. But was it an accident? She told Toni that Harold may have even been having an affair. 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. On Thursday, prosecutors released photos and audio used in the murder trial of Harold Henthorn, 59 Henthorn was convicted last month of first-degree murder in the 2012 death of his wife Toni,. He insisted to anyone who would listen that he was an in-demand fundraiser who had a large staff and made millions a year. His job, for instance. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Harold claimed that one of the cars tires felt mushy, and pulled over to change it. 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. He found a Jeep Cherokee similar to the one that fell on Lynn and went about trying to recreate the scenario that killed her. 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. DENVER - A Colorado man accused of killing his wife by pushing her off a cliff has been found guilty, CBS Denver reports. For both wives of Harold Henthorn, the locations where they died were deserted and Henthorn was the only other person present. The Denver Channel, 7News, brings you the latest trusted news and information for Denver, Colorado, Mile High and. 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. Where Is Harold and Toni Henthorns Daughter Now. Even though he said he could work from anywhere, he didnt see a future in Mississippi, where Tonis family, friends and nearly everyone else who was dear to her already lived. No physical evidence remained. Incidentally, the highway was quite deserted at that time of the year and did not witness much traffic. Similar to his first wifes death, Harold Henthorn began showing inconsistencies in his statements, but the police were cautious this time. He was older. Bob and Yvonne watched as Harold slowly took control of Tonis life. How Psychologically Conditioned Rats Are Defusing Landmines, The Innate Intelligence Observed in the Dying Process. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. The Defendant evidently perceived a strong and viable mother / daughter relationship as a threat to his authority in his warped world. The Defendant deserves the sentence of this Court as he has worked his entire adult life earning the same. Harold Henthorn pleaded not guilty and has always maintained his innocence. 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. He was a wealthy fundraiser for hospitals and churches. In photographs released by the US Attorney's Office after the. I think there is a special place in hell for someone like [Harold].. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. CBS4 Investigator Brian Maass has been with the station more than 30 years uncovering waste, fraud and corruption. 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. 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. The Harold Henthorn-Toni Henthorn murder case will be aired on the latest episode of 48 Hours. To another he said it wasnt him Lynn was actually rescued by a random group of helpful strangers. Within less than a week, Douglas Countys coroner declared Lynn Henthorns death an accident. The money was purportedly for a business investment, according to evidence presented at an earlier federal court hearing.
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