Dateline: Who is Harold Henthorn and what did he do? Harrowing details of Colorado resident's crimes, explored

Harold Henthorn is the subject of Dateline season 24 episode 30, Over the Edge. The episode aired in 2016 but is still remembered for the gruesome crimes committed by Harold.

In 2012, Harold and his second wife, Toni Bertolet Henthorn, went on a hiking trip in the Rocky Mountain National Park, where Toni fell off a cliff and died. Though the death initially seemed like an accident, later investigation pointed toward a conspiracy.

As seen in Dateline, Harold Henthorn is a Colorado native who has been convicted of killing his wife Toni. While he claimed Toni fell off the cliff while trying to take a picture, prosecutors believed he murdered her for insurance money. Co-incidentally, his first wife had also died in an accident in 1995.

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Dateline: Harold Henthorn is a Colorado native linked to both his wives' deaths

Harold Henthorn became infamous after being linked to the deaths of both his wives, Lynn and Toni. His first wife, Lynn, died in 1995 in what seemed like an accident. The couple had pulled over on a dark road to fix a flat tire. While Lynn was under the car, it fell on her and crushed her to death.

Harold was the only witness to the incident. His story kept changing upon being questioned by the police. For example, he did not give a clear answer about which direction they were going, whether they had eaten dinner before, and how the car fell.

However, the tragedy was ruled as an accident and the investigation did not move forward. It was later revealed that Harold had changed Lynn’s life insurance policy just before her death, and received $600,000 after the accident.

Lynn was a social worker with a modest salary, so having insurance worth $600,000 raised further suspicion. However, Harold was still let go and was not tried for Lynn’s murder. A few years later, he got married again, this time to an eye surgeon named Toni Bertolet.

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Dateline depicts Harold Henthorn being convicted of Toni’s murder

Harold and Toni seemed like a happy couple. They got married after meeting online and later welcomed a daughter named Haley. However, things took a dark turn when the couple headed to the Rocky Mountain National Park to celebrate their 12th wedding anniversary in 2012.

Dateline showcases how during the hike, Toni fell 130 feet off a cliff and died. Harold claimed she had lost her balance while taking photos. However, Toni’s family, the Bertolets, were suspicious about the incident as they had seen Harold’s controlling behavior during their marriage.

The Bertolets described how Harold had slowly isolated Toni from her loved ones. He moved her to Colorado, far from her family in Mississippi. Whenever her parents called, Harold would answer and speak for Toni.

Harold also controlled almost every part of Toni’s life, including raising their daughter. He planned Haley’s daily activities, insisted on being the only one to put her to bed, and even monitored her room with a camera long after she had grown up.

Harold’s wealth also remained a mystery. He claimed to be a fundraiser, but his financial condition did not match with his profession. It was revealed that much of the couple’s money came from Toni’s parents.

When Toni died, her family could not ignore the accident's similarities to Lynn’s death. Once again, Harold was the only witness. The authorities then started investigating the case and found out that Harold had taken out a $4.7 million life insurance policy on Toni.

Evidence showed he had planned the hike and chose a remote trail where help would take a long time to arrive in case of an emergency. In 2015, Harold was convicted of first-degree murder for Toni’s death and sentenced to life in prison. A year later, his story was seen in Dateline episode Over the Edge.

While Lynn’s case was never officially reopened, many believe she was Harold’s first victim. In 2022, Harold appealed for a new trial claiming his defense attorney had not represented him well during the original trial; however, the court dismissed the appeal.

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Dateline is available to watch on NBC.