Henthorn Prosecutors: 'Similarities' In Way Both Wives Died
DENVER (CBS4) - Federal prosecutors in the case of Harold Henthorn, the Highlands Ranch man charged with killing his second wife in 2012, are proposing to tell a jury that his first wife died under "bizarre circumstances" when a Jeep fell on her in 1995.
They say a jury needs to hear about the death of Henthorn's first wife to show a pattern of behavior.
In a motion filed in federal court on Thursday, prosecutors asked a judge to allow them to tell a jury about the death of Lynn Henthorn, who they say "died in unusual circumstances where the only witness was her husband who received nearly $500,000 from her death."
Prosecutors say his first wife's death is relevant to the way his second wife, Toni, died when she fell from a cliff in Rocky Mountain National Park during an anniversary hike with her husband. Harold Henthorn has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to face trial for Toni Henthorn's death in May.
RELATED: Henthorn Story Archive
Lynn Henthorn died when the couple stopped to change a low tire on a remote mountain road in Douglas County. Somehow, Lynn Henthorn ended up under the Jeep when her husband says a jack failed and the vehicle fell, crushing and killing his wife. The case was ruled an accident and Henthorn was not criminally charged.
Prosecutors note in their motion that Henthorn told multiple versions of what caused the Jeep to fall on his wife and told conflicting accounts about the incident.
According to prosecutors, in the years after his first wife's death, Henthorn "offered more bizarre stores about Lynn's death" including:
- "She was bending over in the trunk when the hatchback fell on her neck and killed her."
- "A lug nut shot out and pierced her lung."
- "A rod from one of the jacks shot into his wife's chest and killed her."
- "The cabin on the flight-for-life helicopter or plane depressurized and collapsed her lungs."
- "She died in a head-on car collision from which he escaped uninjured."
- "He even told a Sunday School class that she had died from cancer and lost a baby she was carrying to chemotherapy."
Prosecutors point out in their motion numerous similarities in the deaths of Henthorn's two wives:
- Both deaths involved bizarre "accidents"
- Both left Henthorn with significant insurance benefits
- Both times Henthorn was the lone witness
- Both deaths occurred after about 12 years of marriage
- Henthorn told wildly varying stories about both deaths
- In both situations, Harold was eager to have the bodies quickly cremated despite family requests against it.
- Harold spread both womens' ashes on the same mountain near Ouray.
It is "objectively implausible that both of Henthorn's wives would die in bizarre accidents in remote areas where he was the lone witness and beneficiary of their life insurance," write prosecutors.
Henthorn's attorney, Craig Truman, has previously declined to discuss the case outside of court.
Prosecutors plan to argue in favor of their motion during a hearing in March.
CBS4 Investigator Brian Maass has been with the station more than 30 years uncovering waste, fraud and corruption. Follow him on Twitter @Briancbs4.
