Douglas County had changed tremendously in the intervening years. This begs the question, why was he deceiving himself? 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. Yet it was hard for the Bertolets not to notice that so much about Harold seemed not to make sense. 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. She was in immense pain and had numbness in her fingers when she was taken by ambulance to the ER. When she died, her daughter was only 7 years old. To the young medical physician in need of an accomplished mentor to guide a promising medical career, Tonis life mattered and was indispensable. If you would like to donate, you can visit www.umc.edu/tonibertoletendowment. The Accidental Husband: With Peter Van Sant, Brian Maass, Barry Bertolet, Toni Henthorn. Barry Bertolet, Toni Henthorn's brother addresses the media following the guilty verdict (credit: CBS), Harold and Toni Henthorn (courtesy to CBS), Watch the CBS4 special "Inside The Investigation: Harold Henthorn. She told Toni that Harold may have even been having an affair. Initially quite respected and thought of as a regular citizen, people who knew Henthorn were shocked after his conviction as a murderer. His job, for instance. She was deeply religious-teaching Sunday school, singing in both college and church choirs. Harold owned a little house in the mountains west of Denver and took Toni and Haley there often. David Lindley, Multi-Instrumentalist Who Shaped the Sound of Soft Rock, Dead at 78 They can keep it under control most of the time, but sometimes when the opportunity arises, they strike. Toni was a medical doctor that had this unique perspective on life, and those moments affirmed her compassionate care and concern for others. 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. 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. document.write("
'Lethal love': Harold Henthorn had two wives. Both died in bizarre He was indicted on first-degree murder charges earlier this month in the second death and officials believe he is. Knowing what you value will help you build the most meaningful life possible. PostedNovember 18, 2014 Tonis family, though, did not have a high opinion of Harold and suspected foul play after her death. 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. 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. At first glance, it wasnt even apparent that it was a case. At one time she had been assertive and confident a former high school athlete with a deep commitment to God and an unwavering belief that she was put on Earth to help people heal. Harold claimed that one of the cars tires felt mushy, and pulled over to change it. The Defendant claimed to have a career and business, when, in fact he had neither. Did You Know Anxiety Can Enhance Our Relationships? 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. 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. Get the help you need from a therapist near youa FREE service from Psychology Today. The Defendant referred to Haley as a trooper and that life moved on as if nothing ever happened with respect to the permanent absence of Haleys mother. He slammed the tailgate. We want to hear it. Sandra's death is now being re-investigated more thoroughly by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. 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. After all, Harold was a respected member of the community. To the young man who thought he needed a new prescription for his glasses, but was diagnosed by Toni with an aggressive brain tumor requiring immediate intervention, Tonis life mattered and was indispensable. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Toni Henthorn was a skilled ophthalmologist and loving mother. To others he said the flat tire actually bounced out; it was the spare, which he said he loosened, that fell and provided the impact necessary to jolt the Jeep off its moorings and crush his wife. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time September 23, 2015 / 11:02 PM The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". This is "Dateline NBC: Henthorn Case" by Vicky Collins on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. We ask: How could money be so important to a man, that he would kill the mother of his seven year old daughter? She was an eye surgeon. The Defendant even proclaimed to a group of school mothers that Tonis daughter would be fine, because the real relationship was actually between Haley and him. 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. The strange saga of Henthorn and his two ill-fated wives began back in the spring of 1995. Then, he asked Sandra to come help him. 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. The Defendant only made withdrawals and made no deposits in the lives of his wives and their families. Husband charged in wife's fatal fall off Colorado cliff marked spot of 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. 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. Even though Harold had money, he refused to travel with Toni back to the South. 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. The Defendant severely limited and constrained the mother / daughter relationship of Toni and her mother and closely monitored all communication, not because they didnt get along, but merely because they were too close. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Incidentally, the highway was quite deserted at that time of the year and did not witness much traffic. Toni Bertolet Henthorn died after she was pushed off a cliff during an anniversary hike in Rock Mountain National Park. 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. If she hadnt moved a millisecond before it hit her, she later told her mother, it may have landed right on her head, perhaps with enough force to kill. Harold Henthorn, who shoved second wife off cliff, loses appeal for a new murder trial. It would take a lot less time to find out that for Harold, their son-in-law, his tragic present looked very much like his past. To another he said they were on their way to the restaurant. 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. Is Harold Henthorn In Prison Now - Where Is He Today? - Mixedarticle Nothing budged the car. When that didnt work, he threw it a little harder. It went on like this for years, with occasional sunbreaks, moments when both Harold and Tonis moods improved and the union seemed salvageable. 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. But the rescue team couldnt make it to their position in time, and Toni died. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. What kind of mind thinks like that to kill based on an opportunity? Suffer the consequences meant having to listen to Harold talk until he got what he wanted. 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. Thus, Harold Henthorn is currently serving his life sentence at the Terre Haute United States Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana. 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. To another he said it wasnt him Lynn was actually rescued by a random group of helpful strangers. 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. Bob and Yvonne voiced their concerns to Toni when they could, which meant the few times they traveled to Colorado to see her in person and got her alone. Instead, it appears he risked it all for some insurance compensation. Harold was convicted of first-degree murder, and in 2015 was sentenced to life in federal prison. They were the first people to witness his incredibly odd behavior the evening his first wife died. Reviewed by Ekua Hagan. 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. However, his first wife, Lynn . Secondly, we wanted to provide a safe and loving environment for Haley, preferably with her mothers Mississippi family. 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. 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. The U.S. Attorney's crime auditor testified last week that Henthorn had no employment and no steady source of income. 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. Every morning, she wakes up asking herself, "Did it really happen? Harold never said she wasnt allowed, of course. All of Lynns belongings, along with the Jeep, were returned to Harold. 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. Dale Archer, M.D., is a clinical psychiatrist and the author of Better Than Normal: How What Makes You Different Can Make You Exceptional. Firstly, we wanted to be a strong voice for Toni and to seek justice in her behalf. She told Toni she thought Harold wasnt working as much as he said he was, if at all. It seemed to be a tragic accident. The Douglas County Coroner had ruled Lynns death as accidental. Was that a dream?". My child now asks the appropriate question of how do I know. The Jeep was then salvaged. 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. 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 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. She chose ophthalmology, because to look into ones eyes draws a dedication and commitment to the person observed. Police investigators, however, believe that Harold murdered them. Where is Harold Henthorn Now? - The Cinemaholic 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. Detective Weaver heard something similar from Rebecca Roberts. 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. Here's everything to know about them. "48 Hours" The Accidental Husband: Update (TV Episode 2015) - IMDb Harold planned every one of the little girls days and nights. It's a mandatory sentence for first-degree murder. Employee communication . Where is Harold Henthorn now in 2022? He will likely - TheNetline 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 the little boy that was dying on the emergency room table that felt the healing hand of a wonderful physician, but was in need of a guiding hand to heaven from a person of tremendous faith, Tonis life mattered and was indispensable.On September 29, 2012, the Defendant murdered Toni Bertolet Henthorn. The Defendant deserves the sentence of this Court as he has worked his entire adult life earning the same. On September 29, 2012, the couple was hiking at Rocky Mountain National Park when Tonis brother received a chilling text. They couldnt talk about Harold on the phone, since every call with her was also a call with him. 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. 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. Yet as soon as she moved to Colorado, Toni was no longer able to speak to her mother alone. Harold Henthorn, 59, was convicted of one count of first-degree murder in the 2012 death of his second wife, Dr. Toni Henthorn. Dateline reporter Andrea Canning talked with family members who still live in Mississippi and retraced the day of her death and the investigation by federal authorities. Now that effort is laid to waste. A jury convicted him of murdering his second wife, Toni Bertolet, based on evidence that he murdered his first wife, Sandra 'Lynn' Henthorn. Shatterdaymorn Plot summary Add synopsis Genres A year after he was sentenced to life in prison, it doesnt look like Harolds appeal has yet been carried out. 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.". Months later, when they got the news that she was dead, and that she had died while alone with Harold, her father Bob said what most in the family were already thinking. It was Yvonnes job as a surgical nurse and the fact that she kept medical textbooks lying open around the house while Toni was growing up that first inspired Toni to get her start in medicine. Do it carefully, not quickly, was Weavers. He was constantly talking, often bragging, and always had to be the center of attention. On May 6, 1995, Harold and Lynndecided to go on a long drive along a highway in Sedalia, Colorado. 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Shortly before her death, the change Harold made allowed for double the compensation if Lynn died as a result of an accident. The Defendant claimed to be a family man, when, in fact he was a selfish man. 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. On September 29, 2012, Harold and Toni Henthorn went for a hike at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Harold Henthorn Convicted of Murdering His Wife By Pushing Her Off Cliff Sandra suffered numerous severe injuries, but hung on long enough for the paramedics to arrive. Toni and Harold Henthorn were celebrating their 12th wedding anniversary the weekend when she died. To one cop, Harold said the tire they pulled over to change was completely flat. It wasnt until Toni came back to Mississippi to visit, for the first and only time in a decade without Harold, that Yvonne began to worry for her daughters safety. 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. "We don't have to worry anymore.". "https://secure." The couple met online in late 1999 and got married only nine months later, both in a rush to have a child. He had seen a lot. I dont think that was an accident at all, she said, sitting on a bed next to Toni. But I would be very careful. Her greatest asset was her ability to feel what others were feeling. Bob and Yvonne watched as Harold slowly took control of Tonis life. How else to explain all the strangeness?