She was an eye surgeon. For a time, she wondered if she would ever be able to perform another operation. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. As exhibited previously of the mother / daughter relationship between Toni and her mother, the Defendant saw no value in a mothers love; the Defendant only saw the financial value of the life of the mother.To a child, evil and villains are supposed to be easily identifiable. 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. 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. Earnings for Henthorn were in 1993, 1999, and 2000, but nothing after that. Henthorn had been living a lie for years. Toni Bertolet Henthorn died after she was pushed off a cliff during an anniversary hike in Rock Mountain National Park. She told Toni that Harold may have even been having an affair. Lynns death and Harolds behavior, Montoya told him, were still the creepiest thing Ive ever seen.. 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 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. How does she know that a person of perceived trust will not cause her harm? His first wife Lynn died in 1995 after a car held up by a jack fell on her. To the young person contemplating committing suicide in need of compassion and skillful guidance, Tonis life mattered and was indispensable. And the only reason Weaver was even looking at this thin excuse for a file was that now that same husband was a widower once more. 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. Douglas County had changed tremendously in the intervening years. I would not go anywhere alone with this man.. A year after he was sentenced to life in prison, it doesnt look like Harolds appeal has yet been carried out. Now that Toni was home by herself in Mississippi, Yvonne could no longer hold her tongue. 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. 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. Harold couldnt account for how the SUV fell off not one, but the two jacks he said hed used to prop it up. The questions from Douglas County police to Harold were perfunctory. At trial, the coroner testified that Tonis lipstick hadnt been mussed, meaning Harold hadnt actually performed CPR. The innocence of a child should not be violated by evil within and, more importantly, evil within a trusted family unit. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Grief doesnt move on and doesnt end for those that are loved. ". 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.Todd Bertolet. He took away one jack and ran through the whole scenario again. In photographs released by the US Attorney's Office after the. In photographs released by the US Attorney's Office after the. Did you arrest the husband yet? shed asked. 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. 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. To the young man facing total blindness from an injury requiring the skilled hands of a surgeon, Tonis life mattered and was indispensable. Toni and Harold Henthorn were celebrating their 12th wedding anniversary the weekend when she died. It's a mandatory sentence for first-degree murder. 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. "That was very meaningful," Bertolet said. The Sheriffs Office grew with it, from a few dozen to some 500 employees. This is "Dateline NBC: Henthorn Case" by Vicky Collins on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. 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. 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. The Defendants entire adult life was a lie and scam to live his life and lifestyle while others paid the price. The 2 Most Psychologically Incisive Films of 2022, The Surprising Role of Empathy in Traumatic Bonding. The Defendant claimed to have a career and business, when, in fact he had neither. Harold Henthorn was the only witness to both bizarre deaths of his two wives. At the bottom it reads: In Loving Memory, January 10, 1962-September 29, 2012. After being found guilty of first-degree murder, Harold received a life term in federal prison in 2015. Unlucky in love, but a success just about everywhere else. 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. He was able to hide the fact that he didn't work, even though he maintained for years that he did. He was older. 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. According to the show, Tonis family passed a statement claiming that their daughter was quite disturbed in the days leading up to her passing. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Prosecutors and police. After all, his first wife had also died under unusual circumstances, although her death was immediately ruled an accident. Do it carefully, not quickly, was Weavers. The stories he told police werent at all consistent. And, though hes already serving a life sentence for killing his second wife, the total lack of charges stemming from the strange, mysterious death of his first continues to fuel general outrage and disbelief. How does she know that a trusted person is not lying to her? The case now before Weaver was different, though. In December, Toni Bertolet's husband, Harold Henthorn, received a mandatory life sentence for her death. He was 50 when his wife Toni passed away. Even after shed fallen asleep, Harold found a way to keep his eye on his only child. Editors picks Black Widower: How One Man Allegedly Murdered Two Wives. (The detective would later testify to this in court.) After Tonis death, the Defendant routinely proclaimed that Haley Henthorn was doing just fine without her mother. Buried inside the report, Detective Weaver found a reference to a footprint. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice James 3:16. After all, they had been witness to Harolds efforts at trying to alienate his second wife from her close ones. His wife supported him, he didnt work, and he could have continued to live that life forever. The Defendants estate planning was grossly disproportionate as to his gained benefits from the death of his wife, yet showed little or no reciprocity had the circumstances been reversed and he met his untimely death.Grief is the human emotion that is exhibited by the loss of a loved oneit is the price of love. I am haunted by my wifes lament: When Toni died, I died. Harold owned a little house in the mountains west of Denver and took Toni and Haley there often. 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. 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. We agonize over the question: Did Toni know she was being murdered and what were her thoughts as she fell 140 feet? Read More: Where Is Harold and Toni Henthorns Daughter Now? 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. Little did Harold Henthorns friends and neighbors know of the terrible secret he had been hiding for most of his married life. Thus, Harold Henthorn is currently serving his life sentence at the Terre Haute United States Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana. They can keep it under control most of the time, but sometimes when the opportunity arises, they strike. Bertolet said he and his family believe Harold Henthorn funneled the $500,000 to his brother anticipating that he would eventually be charged criminally for Toni Henthorn's death and might not have access to the money. 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. She died on the operating room after being flown to the hospital in a helicopter. The Defendant has blamed the victim for her own death. IE 11 is not supported. 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. 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. The Douglas County Coroner had ruled Lynns death as accidental. Harold Henthorn, and his wife Toni.. 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. Harold Henthorn and Toni Henthorn tied the knot in 2000. Yet as soon as she moved to Colorado, Toni was no longer able to speak to her mother alone. She chose ophthalmology, because to look into ones eyes draws a dedication and commitment to the person observed. A jury convicted Henthorn of murder in 2015 after about 10 and a half hours of deliberation. Case closed. Even early on, Weaver could see that the truth was leading somewhere he didnt want to be. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Detective Weaver discovered that there were multiple witnesses to the accidents aftermath who were never contacted. However, his first wife, Lynn . At that time, her death was quickly deemed an accident. 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. His bosses told him to work the case the same way he worked every other case, which meant to go where the truth led, no matter where it led. Video marketing. 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. The show even traced the subsequent investigation, focusing on the authorities as they cast their net around the murderer. At first glance, it wasnt even apparent that it was a case. To one cop, Harold said the tire they pulled over to change was completely flat. He was a good guy, a loving husband, a good father to their daughter, and extremely busy working as a fundraiser for churches,. 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. After his second wife died in an accident, authorities found that circumstances of his first wife's death were more suspicious than they realized. He pushed her, said Tonis father, Bob. They had lunch together, and headed down a nearby ridge to take pictures, passing the camera back and forth all the while. To one cop, Harold said that he jacked up the fallen car and pulled Lynn out from underneath it in a desperate attempt to save her life. 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. Harold Henthorn, convicted of killing his second wife by shoving her off a cliff, will not get a new trial according to a ruling. The Defendant demeaned the investigative authorities for uncovering his murder and sinister intentions. 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. 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. Harold Henthorn, 59, was convicted of one count of first-degree murder in the 2012 death of his second wife, Dr. Toni Henthorn. Her husband's past is probed and deadly secrets are revealed. If Toni mentioned a stove wasnt working properly or noticed something else that needed fixing, the issue got deliberated for hours, until Toni was so exhausted by the argument that she gave up. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Detective Weaver heard something similar from Rebecca Roberts. Tonis brother Barry Bertolet spoke at the sentencing. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Knowing what you value will help you build the most meaningful life possible. Grief is place where one never wishes to remain; yet it will be our unending passage due to the wrongful acts of the Defendant. Incidentally, the highway was quite deserted at that time of the year and did not witness much traffic. According to Henthorn, he said a tire felt "spongy," so he pulled off the road to change 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. To another he said it was merely spongy. It would be years before they would find justice. Here's everything to know about them. Additionally, the police ascertained that Harold stood to gain substantial life insurance money following Tonis demise, which gave him a motive for murder. The family had enough money. "); 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Selena Gomez vs. Hailey Bieber: Why Everyone Thinks They Need to Pick a Side. In each case, the Defendant made arrangements to be a lucky recipient of significant benefits from those deathshis own version a post mortem lottery. The story went like this: Late one night, while Haley slept inside the cabin, Harold asked Toni to help him clean up some debris. Harold Henthorn with Sandra Lynn, his first wife. 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. Sandra's death is now being re-investigated more thoroughly by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. The Bertolets said goodbye to their only daughter a few days later. Toni Henthorn fell to her death off a cliff while hiking with her husband, Harold. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 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. The money was purportedly for a business investment, according to evidence presented at an earlier federal court hearing. Bob Bertolet, Tonis father, and Todd Bertolet, her younger brother, read the following victim impact statements at Harolds sentencing. 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. Toni sat next to her mother saying nothing. How else to explain all the strangeness? From the time of Tonis death, the Defendant has made it abundantly clear that he just wanted to move on with his life. Henthorn was able to persuade police his first wife died as the result of a tragic accident. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Toni was a successful eye surgeon yet she wanted nothing more than to be in a loving marriage and have a family. var sc_invisible=0; He then let them take the lead when it came time to give her CPR. The Bertolets hoped life might get better for Toni with the birth of Haley in 2005, but found, to their dismay, that things only got worse. We feel guilt that we failed to act on our suspicions concerning Tonis welfare in her marriage. She had a passion to console and give advice to those who were in need of direction and comfort. "We don't have to worry anymore.". Haley is not fine without her mother. 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. No. Nothing budged the car. Henthorn told investigators that his wife paused to take a photo of the view and fell face-first over the ledge. 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. He probably could have continued to live that lie, but if he did this, then greed got the best of him. Trending On May 6 of that year, Henthorn and his first wife, Sandra Lynn, were driving through the dark.