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. Then came Harold. 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. 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. 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. Yet it was hard for the Bertolets not to notice that so much about Harold seemed not to make sense. He was a good guy, a loving husband, a good father to their daughter, and extremely busy working as a fundraiser for churches,. How does she know that the person she chooses loves her for who she is and not for her wealth and lifestyle? Overwhelmed by the loss of the child, Toni never wanted to see the hurt in another persons eyes, much less a childs eyes. His job, for instance. The Defendant evidently perceived a strong and viable mother / daughter relationship as a threat to his authority in his warped world. To one cop, Harold said that they were driving east. The money was purportedly for a business investment, according to evidence presented at an earlier federal court hearing. And he maintains his innocence. His attorney, Craig Truman, said prosecutors failed to prove he killed her. The sentencing today is the final act in completing our first goal and has opened the door to achieving the second goal. It took Harold 45 minutes to get to her, and he claimed he performed CPR as best he could after dialing 911. Harold Henthorn and Toni Henthorn tied the knot in 2000. Plot summary Add synopsis Genres Documentary News Certificate TV-PG Parents guide Add content advisory The Defendant claimed to be a family man, when, in fact he was a selfish man. "48 Hours" The Accidental Husband: Update (TV Episode 2015) - IMDb What they wanted was to see Toni happy. He found a Jeep Cherokee similar to the one that fell on Lynn and went about trying to recreate the scenario that killed her. To the young person contemplating committing suicide in need of compassion and skillful guidance, Tonis life mattered and was indispensable. Employee communication . If you want to know more about this baffling case and where Harold Henthorn is today, we have you covered. It's a mandatory sentence for first-degree murder. All of Lynns belongings, along with the Jeep, were returned to Harold. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. But at the time of Lynns death, there were only five detectives covering an area half the size of Rhode Island. To another he said west. Still, Harold persisted in his innocence, and in 2017 he filed an appeal for a retrial, which was subsequently denied. The show even traced the subsequent investigation, focusing on the authorities as they cast their net around the murderer. She was an eye surgeon. Harold claimed that one of the cars tires felt mushy, and pulled over to change it. Toni was a medical doctor that had this unique perspective on life, and those moments affirmed her compassionate care and concern for others. 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. 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. 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. Harold and Toni Henthorn Toni and Harold met online in 1999 and married just nine months later. He slammed the tailgate. "We are overjoyed with the verdict and relieved this won't happen to any other lady," said Barry Bertolet, Toni Henthorn's brother. A true parent places a childs needs above their own selfish wants. His second wife had $4.5 million in life insurance. 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. Something wasnt right, and Yvonne wanted to talk with Toni. Author Vissarion Belinsky appropriately noted, Nothing is more sacred and selfless like the love of a mother; every affection, everylove, every passion, is either weak or selfish in comparison with her. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Sandra suffered numerous severe injuries, but hung on long enough for the paramedics to arrive. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time Harold Henthorn, convicted of killing his second wife by shoving her off a cliff, will not get a new trial according to a ruling. On September 29, 2012, Harold and Toni Henthorn went for a hike at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. 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. Technically he was retired. Harold couldnt account for how the SUV fell off not one, but the two jacks he said hed used to prop it up. Prosecutors and authorities learned that before Tonis death, she had been subjected twice to injuries allegedly caused by a wooden beam. Douglas County wasnt prepared to investigate Lynns death not only because theyd never seen one like it, but because they werent prepared anything of this magnitude. The lead investigator made mention of a partial print on the wheel well, above the missing tire, the same one that Lynn had supposedly been trying to help change when she was killed. That she would take it to heart. It went on like this for years, with occasional sunbreaks, moments when both Harold and Tonis moods improved and the union seemed salvageable. Her husband, Harold Henthorn, was convicted of first-degree murder in her death. | 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. Storyline Colorado, 2001: Toni Bertolet Henthorn, a doctor and mother, falls from a cliff in the Rockies. The Harold Henthorn-Toni Henthorn murder case will be aired on the latest episode of 48 Hours. That woman on the mountain, she said. 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. Years removed from the original investigation, with Toni Henthorns suspicious fall raising new concerns, Detective Weaver was told to go where the truth led him. As the little boy lay on the emergency room table, he pointed to his head and moaned hurt..hurt. A chance to speak frankly with her daughter was something she hadnt had for a long time and Yvonne didnt waste it. 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. The travel for work that didnt seem, to Yvonne at least, to be real? His second wife Toni died in 2012 after a fall during a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. Even though Harold had money, he refused to travel with Toni back to the South. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time 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. Case closed. She was killed while trying to change a flat tire when the car she was underneath fell on top of her, thousands of pounds of metal pinning her to the ground. On May 6, 1995, Harold and Sandra were driving home after a day of hiking. 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. 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. Toni's Family Addresses the Judge At Harold Henthorn's Sentencing It is often said that when a brilliant mind, talent, and heart come together as one, one should expect a Masterpiece. 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. Her husband calls 911 but she dies and, at first, it seems like an accident. All of this led to the filing of murder charges last week. Every morning, she wakes up asking herself, "Did it really happen? Dateline airs Friday nights at 9 PM on NBC. 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. My wife is Yvonne and our two sons are Barry and Todd. In Memory of Toni - University of Mississippi Foundation The letter was from the Department of the Interior, which oversees every one of the countrys 417 national parks. 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. CBS 48 Hours file photos This wasn't the only circumstance that Walsh saw as suspicious. : "http://www. Harold Henthorn, and his wife Toni.. This is an adapted chapter from Caleb Hannans new Kindle Single The Accidents; read the full story here. Police investigators, however, believe that Harold murdered them. The spring night was cold and Lynn was only wearing a t-shirt. He's 38 years old, a married, religious person and he's shoplifting underwear in JCPenney." 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. How else to explain all the strangeness? Oh it was nothing, Mrs. B! Harold had insisted on one of their phone calls afterwards. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Husband charged in wife's fatal fall off Colorado cliff marked spot of Even after shed fallen asleep, Harold found a way to keep his eye on his only child. Harold Hentho His wife supported him, he didnt work, and he could have continued to live that life forever. 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. Editors picks Within less than a week, Douglas Countys coroner declared Lynn Henthorns death an accident. Harold never said she wasnt allowed, of course. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Harold Henthorn was the only witness to both bizarre deaths of his two wives. The Defendant created his own reality and everyone in it. Nor did the coroners office report whether the contents of Lynns stomach indicated one story was more plausible than the other. 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. What kind of mind thinks like that to kill based on an opportunity? Video marketing. 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. I feel for him and his family. Reviewed by Ekua Hagan. They had lunch together, and headed down a nearby ridge to take pictures, passing the camera back and forth all the while. Her husband, Harold Henthorn, was convicted of first-degree murder in. Nice, right? Tom Sizemore, Heat and Saving Private Ryan Actor, Dead at 61 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. She died on the operating room after being flown to the hospital in a helicopter. After years of trying, the two managed to have a daughter, Haley. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". "48 Hours" The Accidental Husband (TV Episode 2015) - IMDb The Defendant demeaned the investigative authorities for uncovering his murder and sinister intentions. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC. The Defendants so called estate planning banked on and invested heavily in the premature demise of his wife. Tyler Hadley's Killer Party Following the death of his first wife, Harold married a second time after meeting Dr. Toni Jill Bertolet Henthorn on a dating site. Stories About Harold Henthorn - CBS Colorado The Defendant is neither a good father nor a replacement for a loving mother. Toni Bertolet Henthorn died after she was pushed off a cliff during an anniversary hike in Rock Mountain National Park. She was a volunteer with the West Douglas County Fire Department who arrived on scene shortly after Montoya left. There was something else, too, buried inside the file. 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. 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. But in Detective Weavers mind, none of that mattered to the men investigating the case because every piece of information they gathered was viewed through the same distorting prism. It just so happened that every time Bob or Yvonne called their daughter, Harold was the one to answer. Douglas County had changed tremendously in the intervening years. PostedNovember 18, 2014 Related Her dreams seemed to come true when she met Harold. The camera he and his wife were passing back and forth had no photos on it. Harold even called 911, and when first responders reached the scene, they noticed that Toni had fallen from a height of 140 feet to her death. In each case, the Defendant made arrangements to be a lucky recipient of significant benefits from those deathshis own version a post mortem lottery. 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. She was in immense pain and had numbness in her fingers when she was taken by ambulance to the ER. Although Harold pleaded not guilty at his trial, the jury did not deliberate long before pronouncing him guilty. 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.