Toni Henthorn – In 2012, Toni Henthorn’s trip to Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park was meant to be a romantic 12th wedding anniversary celebration with her husband, Harold. Instead, it ended in tragedy—her lifeless body was discovered at the base of a 160-foot cliff.
The case initially seemed like a heartbreaking accident, but investigators soon uncovered decades of deception and a disturbing pattern of suspicious deaths linked to Harold Henthorn.
ABC’s 20/20 episode, “Mountain of Lies”, airing Friday, Feb. 28, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC and streaming the next day on Hulu, delves deep into the investigation that exposed Harold’s dark secrets.
A Picture of a Perfect Marriage—Or a Carefully Crafted Illusion?
Toni, a successful ophthalmologist, and Harold, who claimed to be a fundraiser, lived in Denver, Colorado, with their daughter, Haley. Outwardly, they appeared to have a stable life—until Toni’s sudden and mysterious death raised suspicions.
At just 7 years old, Haley Bertolet (who now uses her mother’s maiden name) was left without her mother. In an exclusive interview with ABC’s 20/20, Haley described Toni as “intelligent, wise, and eloquent.”
But her father’s account of what happened that fateful day raised red flags for authorities.
Photos Reveal the Truth Behind the Death of Toni Henthorn
Harold claimed that Toni had accidentally slipped and fallen. However, photos recovered from her camera and Harold’s phone painted a different story.
Investigators noticed that Harold had taken multiple photos of himself standing dangerously close to the cliff’s edge.
“Our theory was that he was trying to lure Toni to the edge,” said Beth Shott, a retired special agent with the National Park Service. “Like he was saying, ‘Look, honey, it’s safe. You can stand here.’”
This discovery prompted authorities to dig deeper into Harold’s past.
A Web of Lies and a Mysterious First Wife’s Death
Investigators quickly discovered several inconsistencies in Harold’s life.
- A family nanny revealed that Toni and Harold slept in separate rooms and that Harold frequently took “business trips” without luggage.
- His fundraising business had no real online presence or financial records.
- He falsely claimed to be a Certified Fundraiser (CFR)—the agency that issues that certification had never heard of him.
Then came the most shocking discovery: Harold’s first wife, Lynn Henthorn, had also died under bizarre circumstances.
In 1995, Lynn was crushed under their car while Harold claimed he was changing a tire. Authorities ruled it an accident at the time, but when Toni died nearly two decades later under eerily similar conditions, investigators saw a deadly pattern emerge.
“Both deaths happened in remote locations,” Shott explained. “Harold was completely unharmed, but his wives were killed.”
The Financial Motive: Life Insurance Policies Worth Millions
Investigators soon found that Harold had profited significantly from his wives’ deaths.
- After Lynn’s death, Harold collected $600,000 in life insurance.
- During his marriage to Toni, he took out three separate $1.5 million policies on her life.
Harold’s attempt to manipulate others for financial gain didn’t stop there. He tried to take out a $400,000 life insurance policy on his sister-in-law, Grace Rishell, listing himself as the sole beneficiary—without her consent.
“I saw him as very controlling,” Rishell said. “That’s when I realized something was seriously wrong.”
Controlling His Daughter’s Life
Following Toni’s death, Harold exerted disturbing control over Haley.
- He told her that Toni had “lost consciousness forever” and instructed her not to cry.
- He monitored her every move with a baby monitor.
- She had to ask permission to get food or play with her toys.
“I wasn’t allowed to do anything without his approval,” Haley recalled.
Harold’s Arrest and Life Sentence
Two years after Toni’s death, federal authorities arrested Harold for first-degree murder.
With overwhelming evidence against him—including his history of deception, life insurance fraud, and the chilling similarities between his wives’ deaths—Harold was found guilty in 2015.
The jury was particularly impacted by park rangers’ testimony, who described just how treacherous the location was—making an accidental fall unlikely.
Harold Henthorn was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
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Haley’s New Life and Her Final Message to Her Father
Following Harold’s conviction, Haley was adopted by her mother’s brother, Barry Bertolet, and his wife, Paula.
“When Haley came to us, she was afraid to make decisions, even small ones,” Paula said. “She needed love and stability.”
Despite everything, Haley chooses forgiveness.
“Not for his sake, but for mine,” she told 20/20. “So that I know I’m free from him and his control.”
She hopes her story will inspire others to find light after darkness.
“Regardless of what you’ve been through, there’s always a way out of the darkness,” she said.
