Decades of Lies Unraveled
A 2012 trip to Rocky Mountain National Park, intended to celebrate Toni Henthorn and her husband Harold’s 12th wedding anniversary, took a tragic turn. Toni fell to her death at the bottom of a remote cliff, which prompted an investigation that exposed years of deception by Harold.
A new “20/20” episode, “Mountain of Lies,” airing on ABC and available on Hulu, delves into the details of the case.
Their daughter, Haley, was only 7 at the time of her mother’s death. In an exclusive interview with “20/20,” she described her mother, Toni, as “amazing.” She added that her mother was “intelligent, and so wise and eloquent.”
Harold initially told authorities that Toni had slipped and fallen accidentally from a 160-foot cliff. This placed the case under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service (NPS).
Inconsistencies and Suspicion
Investigators pieced together Toni’s final hours using photos from her camera and Harold’s phone. Beth Shott, a retired special agent with the NPS Investigative Services Branch (ISB), noted photographs of Harold standing at the edge of a dangerous cliff.
“Our theory was that he was trying to lure her to stand where he is,” Shott told “20/20.” “That he’s saying, ‘Look honey, this is safe. You can stand here.'”
Detectives found several inconsistencies in Harold’s story, which fueled a closer examination of his relationship with Toni.
The family’s nanny told investigators that Harold and Toni slept in separate rooms. The nanny also noted Harold’s occasional “business trips.”
“He would go on these trips, but he wouldn’t have luggage, and then he would just kind of show up the next day,” Shott said. “And the nanny was wondering if Harold was having an affair. He seemed to have a secret life.”
Investigators were unable to find proof of his fundraising work, which had no online presence.
“On his business cards Harold had ‘CFR’ — certified fundraiser. And there is actually an agency that issues that certification,” Shott explained. “So, I contacted that agency and they indicated, ‘No, we have no idea who he is and no, he’s not a certified fundraiser.’ Oh my gosh, he doesn’t even have a business.”
A review of Harold’s tax returns showed he had earned little to no money for two decades.
“He had posed for almost 20 years as somebody he’s not, and worked really hard at it,” Shott said.
A Pattern of Tragedy?
Authorities received anonymous letters referencing the unusual circumstances of Harold’s first wife, Lynn Henthorn’s, death in 1995. Harold claimed she was crushed under a car while he was changing a tire. That death was ruled an accident. When Toni died, family, friends, and investigators took note of the similarities.
“Remote locations. Odd places. Why were they there in the first place?” Shott asked. “Harold was not injured in any way in either of these incidents, but his spouse was killed.”
After Lynn’s death, Harold stayed in contact with her sister-in-law, Grace Rishell, and her daughters. Harold was particularly supportive after Rishell’s divorce in 2010. She said Harold offered mentorship and financial advice.
Rishell said Harold bought her a life insurance policy and told her the beneficiaries would be her daughters.
“At first, the insurance policy seemed like a gracious gift that I could accept,” she said. “Because it was for my girls.”
However, Rishell decided not to move to Colorado to be near Harold and Toni, whom Harold had appeared to be controlling. She said that she called his broker and cancelled the policy.
Investigators discovered that Harold had not canceled the policy and was its primary beneficiary. The policy was worth $400,000, and Rishell’s daughters were not listed as beneficiaries.
Investigators said Harold took out insurance policies on his wives. He received $600,000 after Lynn died.
Harold had three $1.5 million policies on Toni during their marriage.
“So we’re seeing this pattern of building up her net worth, so to speak, if she were to die,” Shott said.
Controlling Behavior
After Toni’s death, Haley said Harold tried to control her reaction.
“He sat me down and he told me that she had ‘lost consciousness forever,’ is how he put it to me. And I just remember that moment was horrible,” Haley told “20/20.” “And right after, he didn’t want me to cry about it. He told me not to cry. He told me that people would be watching.”
Haley also said Harold controlled her at home. She had to ask his permission for snacks and playtime.
“I couldn’t leave my room, and he had a baby monitor in my room watching me,” she said. “And so, he would know if I woke up and he would know if I came downstairs to get anything before he said it was allowable.”
Two years after Toni’s death, the authorities arrested Harold for her murder. By this time, Harold had isolated Haley from her family. This raised concerns among investigators.
“Our primary concern, when we arrested Harold, was that he might create some sort of hostage or dangerous situation with Haley if he knew his freedom was at risk,” Jonny Grusing, a former FBI agent who worked on the case, explained.
A judge denied Harold bail, declaring him a “substantial flight risk.”
In 2015, a jury convicted Harold of first-degree murder, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“What I think had a big impact on the jurors was having about two or three park rangers talk them through how difficult it was to get up there, and then how dangerous it was to be there,” Grusing stated.
Harold was not charged in connection to Lynn’s death.
After Harold’s imprisonment, Haley was adopted by Toni’s brother, Barry, and his wife Paula.
“When Haley came to us, she was almost afraid to do anything without permission,” Paula Bertolet said “I think she was hungry for a loving parent.”
Haley has forgiven her father.
“Not for his sake, but for mine,” she explained. “So that I know that I’m freed from him, from his control, that I’m my own person and that I’m grounded to do whatever I want to do outside of his control.”
She hopes her story can inspire others.
“And I want them to know that regardless of what they’ve been through, there’s always a way out of the darkness,” she said.
