Jury Selection In Henthorn Case Begins Wednesday
DENVER (CBS4) - Federal prosecutors and defense attorneys for Harold Henthorn will begin picking jurors Wednesday for the Highlands Ranch man's murder trial, which is scheduled to begin Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Henthorn is charged with murdering his second wife, Toni, by pushing her off a cliff in Rocky Mountain National Park during an anniversary hike Sept. 29, 2012. He has pleaded not guilty in the case.
Prospective jurors will be asked to fill out a questionnaire with several dozen questions.
A number of the questions relate to jurors news habits. They will be asked:
- How do you keep up with the news?
- What news programs do you regularly watch or listen to on TV or radio?
- Do you watch any court or police reality shows?
- What Internet sites do you regularly visit?
- What newspapers and magazines do you read?
The Henthorn case has received widespread coverage in the U.S. and abroad since CBS4 first broke the story that both of Henthorn's wives died in freak accidents.
VIDEO: Watch the CBS4 special "Inside The Investigation: Harold Henthorn
His first wife, Lynn, died in May 1995 when the couple's Jeep fell on her during a tire change on a remote Douglas County road. That case was initially ruled an accident although Douglas County investigators reopened the case after learning of the death of Henthorn's second wife.
Jurors will be allowed to hear about the circumstances surrounding the death of Henthorn's first wife during the upcoming trial. Prosecutors have stated they believe he killed both of his wives.
Prosecutors have also submitted a list of more than 300 exhibits they plan to show at trial. Included in the list are photos of the area where Toni Henthorn died along with drone and go-pro videos of the area.
Prosecutors also plan to show jurors Toni Henthorn's wedding ring. When she was found after the deadly fall, the diamond in her wedding ring was missing. However in their exhibit list, prosecutors list numerous photos of the "diamond recovery," indicating they later found the diamond that was initially missing after Toni Henthorn's fall.
Prosecutors have also submitted a witness list for the trial indicating they plan to call numerous friends of Toni and Harold Henthorn along with Toni Henthorn's mother and brother, FBI agents and investigators and witnesses connected to the death of Harold Henthorn's first wife.
The Henthorn trial is expected to last from Sept. 8 to Sept. 25 according to court documents.
CBS4 Investigator Brian Maass has been with the station more than 30 years uncovering waste, fraud and corruption. Follow him on Twitter @Briancbs4.
