Bertolet said, "There's no doubt he paid for his defense with Toni's money.". After being found guilty of first-degree murder, Harold received a life term in federal prison in 2015. 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. She had a passion to console and give advice to those who were in need of direction and comfort. Yet Toni remained silent. However, Harold kept insisting on his innocence and in 2017 appealed for a retrial which was subsequently shot down. Related: Man Accused in Wife's Deadly Fall Also Killed First Wife: Prosecutor, They seized on Henthorn's inconsistent accounts of the fatal fall and said the evidence did not match his shifting stories. How does she know that the person she chooses loves her for who she is and not for her wealth and lifestyle? 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. All of this led to the filing of murder charges last week. In addition, Henthorn has only been in the public eye since 2012, and was only sentenced last year, but his story really spans twenty years. It had been a full day, and the sun had set. We agonize over the question: Did Toni know she was being murdered and what were her thoughts as she fell 140 feet? 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,. 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. Harold, in contrast to all those grieving family members, had been calm. The Defendant has blamed the victim for her own death. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. var scJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? The file contained a note from a woman named Patricia Montoya, who called the day after the accident with a question. Feds say Henthorn pushed his wife over a cliff at Rocky Mountain National Park. Was that a dream?". It would have been, except that Toni plunged down a 50-foot cliff to her death. 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. Within less than a week, Douglas Countys coroner declared Lynn Henthorns death an accident. Three years later we are still heavy laden with the emotional shock of her death.Toni was a special child, a precious gift to us from God. No. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. And, strangest of all from Montoyas perspective, Harold refused to hand over the coat he was wearing. The Defendant proclaimed to be a Christian man when in fact he was an immoral man. Harold planned every one of the little girls days and nights. Montoya wanted to cover his wife with something warm. And he maintains his innocence. The Defendant evidently perceived a strong and viable mother / daughter relationship as a threat to his authority in his warped world. Yvonne always considered Toni the best birthday present she ever received. His job, for instance. "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. Old Medication, New Use: Can Prazosin Curb Drinking? Get the help you need from a therapist near youa FREE service from Psychology Today. 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. 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. They couldnt talk about Harold on the phone, since every call with her was also a call with him. And there was one huge, almost shockingly damning piece of evidence the prosecution used against Harold. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. According to Henthorn, he said a tire felt "spongy," so he pulled off the road to change it. Firstly, we wanted to be a strong voice for Toni and to seek justice in her behalf. Initially, the couple appeared ecstatic in their new life and were happy with each other. However, Harold kept insisting on his innocence and in 2017 appealed for a retrial which was subsequently shot down. 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. (This was also brought up in court.) The Defendants entire adult life was a lie and scam to live his life and lifestyle while others paid the price. Harold couldnt account for how the SUV fell off not one, but the two jacks he said hed used to prop it up. Most people dont know that within that department there are teams of cops who work cases just like police in less scenic precincts. He was indicted on first-degree murder charges earlier this month in the second death and officials believe he is. He's either guilty of two murders or he has a perplexing attraction to exceedingly unlucky women. He insisted to anyone who would listen that he was an in-demand fundraiser who had a large staff and made millions a year. 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. 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. I feel for him and his family. 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. We can only hope to learn more as the trial kicks into gear. After a few years sharpening his golf game Weaver got bored and applied for a job in Douglas, the county just to the south. Little did Harold Henthorns friends and neighbors know of the terrible secret he had been hiding for most of his married life. His second wife Toni died in 2012 after a fall during a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. 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. Her dreams seemed to come true when she met Harold. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. As an ophthalmologist, Tonis commitment was her recurring choice to make a positive difference in the lives of so many. The Idol: How HBOs Next Euphoria Became Twisted Torture Porn Tyler Hadley's Killer Party Black Widower: How One Man Allegedly Murdered Two Wives. Selling the Bro Dream: Are Frat Boys Peddling Vemma Suckers? Testimony in the Henthorn trial showed Harold Henthorn never really had steady employment, had brought in no income while married to Toni Henthorn, and had been living off his ophthalmologist wife and her family's money for years. Stranger still was Harolds behavior on phone calls. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. He told them, We are beyond sorry for not seeing through it. Shatterdaymorn Plot summary Add synopsis Genres Harold Henthorn was a grieving widower. "Believe it or not I forgive him (Henthorn) for doing it. Instead, it appears he risked it all for some insurance compensation. If Henthorn is found guilty, I would not think either killing was premeditated but rather an opportunity arose and impulsively he used it to his advantage. Secondly, we wanted to provide a safe and loving environment for Haley, preferably with her mothers Mississippi family. How does she know that a person of perceived trust will not cause her harm? A jury convicted Henthorn of murder in 2015 after about 10 and a half hours of deliberation. Toni Bertolet Henthorns life was a masterpiece and role model to those who were fortunate to be a part of her life. He was 50 when his wife Toni passed away. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Yet it was hard for the Bertolets not to notice that so much about Harold seemed not to make sense. They were the first people to witness his incredibly odd behavior the evening his first wife died. (The detective would later testify to this in court.) To one cop, Harold said that they were driving east. 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. You do with this what you want to. For a time, she wondered if she would ever be able to perform another operation. 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 couple met online in late 1999 and got married only nine months later, both in a rush to. Toni had fallen off a cliff? Lynn Henthorns death was a tragedy, not a crime. They also would have discovered that the amount was so high because Harold had changed the policy. Their grandchild was now in the care of the man they believed to be her killer. Todd Bertolet, Toni Henthorn's brother said, "That was what was so odd. 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 family man, when, in fact he was a selfish man. Haley Henthorn is the daughter of Harold Henthorn. The case now before Weaver was different, though. To another he said it wasnt him Lynn was actually rescued by a random group of helpful strangers. A true parent places a childs needs above their own selfish wants. 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. In 2000, Harold Henthorn married eye doctor Toni Bertolet after they met on a Christian dating website. 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. The Defendants so called estate planning banked on and invested heavily in the premature demise of his wife. They spoke to a co-worker of Lynns who said the whole scenario seemed suspicious. 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. There were other inconsistencies too. 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. In fact, the Defendant has never been unlucky; only the Defendants wives have been unlucky with their untimely and obscure deaths. Additionally, the police ascertained that Harold stood to gain substantial life insurance money following Tonis demise, which gave him a motive for murder. Her husband, Harold Henthorn, was convicted of first-degree murder in. 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. Eventually, Harold is arrested and convicted of first-degree murder. His second wife had $4.5 million in life insurance. Then harder still. Harold Henthorn faces a mandatory life term when he is sentenced Dec. 8. 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 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. He was careful and methodical and knew how to navigate the choppy waters of bureaucracy even when it came to the toughest cases. Every morning, she wakes up asking herself, "Did it really happen? Yvonne had spent more than a decade suppressing her motherly intuition about Harold so that her daughter would be spared the consequences. Yvonne wanted Toni to say something, anything. 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. 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. Harold Henthorn, and his wife Toni. It took Harold 45 minutes to get to her, and he claimed he performed CPR as best he could after dialing 911. But there was something else. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. From the time of Tonis death, the Defendant has made it abundantly clear that he just wanted to move on with his life. Harold Hentho Then, he said, he saw nothing but a blurand Toni was no longer standing there. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. The Douglas County Coroner had ruled Lynns death as accidental. The sentence to be handed down by this court is the only result that the Defendant has actually earned in his adult life. 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. They can keep it under control most of the time, but sometimes when the opportunity arises, they strike. In spite of Tonis efforts, the little boy died having succumbed to his injuries. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Harold Henthorn was one calculating and manipulative murderer. 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. Tonis brother Barry Bertolet spoke at the sentencing. Follow him on Twitter @Briancbs4. (Photo credits: Harold Henthorn case update via Dateline, Tyler Cipriani) var sc_invisible=0; 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. 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. It does not store any personal data. My wife is Yvonne and our two sons are Barry and Todd. The money was purportedly for a business investment, according to evidence presented at an earlier federal court hearing. "That was very meaningful," Bertolet said. My name is Bob Bertolet, father of the victim, Toni Bertolet Henthorn. The Defendant demeaned the investigative authorities for uncovering his murder and sinister intentions. : "http://www. 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. Harold never said she wasnt allowed, of course. 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. My child now asks the appropriate question of how do I know. Sandra suffered numerous severe injuries, but hung on long enough for the paramedics to arrive. He had to give his bosses credit; they were telling him he was likely going to find something that embarrassed them, but encouraged him nonetheless. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time 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. This development recalls the story of another notorious convicted Colorado killer: Harold Henthorn, who was convicted of killing his second wife, Dr. Toni Henthorn. Haley is not fine without her mother. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. He had arrived with grand promises, including a claim that he was so rich that Toni would never have to work again. 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. After all, Harold was a respected member of the community. 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. If Harold said they needed a new car, the car got bought. If you want to know more about this baffling case and where Harold Henthorn is today, we have you covered. The camera he and his wife were passing back and forth had no photos on it. Technically Weaver wasnt even supposed to be a detective. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Their only daughter was gone. "We don't have to worry anymore.". In 1994, Henthorn was arrested for shoplifting $47.49 worth of men's underwear from a JCPenney store. The Defendant only made withdrawals and made no deposits in the lives of his wives and their families. Harold Henthorn was the only witness to both bizarre deaths of his two wives. A government auditor testified at a grand jury hearing that Henthorn not only kept things from friends and family but also deceived on many occasions. / CBS Colorado. 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. What Toni meant was that Harold didnt like to be questioned. Still, Harold persisted in his innocence, and in 2017 he filed an appeal for a retrial, which was subsequently denied. 48 Hours examines the case of Harold Henthorn whose wives died 17 years apart in supposedly freak accidents. Harold Henthorn and Toni Henthorn tied the knot in 2000. First published on September 23, 2015 / 11:02 PM. Grief means coping, emptiness, adjusting, loss, and sadness. We never imagined that murder would come into our lives like a thief in the night. That woman on the mountain, she said. Incidentally, the highway was quite deserted at that time of the year and did not witness much traffic. 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. Harold was convicted of first-degree murder, and in 2015 was sentenced to life in federal prison. Friends and family were delighted for the pair, who seemed to be the perfect match. Now he needed an answer to a question that was gnawing at him. She was a volunteer with the West Douglas County Fire Department who arrived on scene shortly after Montoya left. Maybe it wasnt the most critical detail. 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. 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. In a horrible turn of events, Lynn crawled under the car to retrieve a lug nut when the vehicle came down on her crushing her fatally. She, like Dr. Henthorn, died in a rural and deserted area. 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. 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. Nevertheless, even in this case, Harolds numerous statements widely differed from each other and were not believable. Nice, right? Her husband, Harold Henthorn, was convicted of first-degree murder in her death. On May 6 of that year, Henthorn and his first wife, Sandra Lynn, were driving through the dark. 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 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. This has nothing to do with borderline personality disorder. Montoya eventually got so fed up with the fact that Harold wouldnt help warm up his freezing, near-death wife that she used her own coat and left it at the scene once she and her family realized the police were almost there. Harold Henthorn, and his wife Toni.. 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. Weaver was the man for the job because even in a room full of patient people, his patience marked him as different. 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.