Convicted Killer Harold Henthorn Seeks New Trial, Claims Lawyer Committed Fraud, Lied
DENVER (CBS4) - Convicted killer Harold Henthorn, serving a life sentence for murdering his wife, is asking for a new trial claiming he paid his attorney more than a million dollars, but "he had sold me down the river."
Henthorn filed the new motion Tuesday asking that his life sentence be set aside and that he be given a new trial due to "ineffective assistance of counsel." Henthorn is incarcerated in a federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana.
A federal jury convicted Henthorn of pushing his second wife, Toni, off a cliff in Rocky Mountain National Park in 2012. Prosecutors said Harold Henthorn would have been the beneficiary of $4.7 million dollars in life insurance he had taken out on his wife. Prosecutors also believe Henthorn killed his first wife, Lynn, who died in 1995 in Douglas County under mysterious circumstances.
In 2015, a jury deliberated for about 10 ½ hours before convicting Henthorn of murdering his second wife. Henthorn has always maintained his innocence.
In a five page explanation of his new claims, Henthorn said he paid his attorney, Craig Truman, $1,064,772. For his defense. But Henthorn writes that Truman "acted in his own self-interest and put his personal financial gain ahead of conducting a solid defense for me".
CBS4 contacted Truman who said he wouldn't discuss the case outside of court.
According to Henthorn, "Mr. Truman was dishonest with me regarding his strategy of defense for the purpose of fraud and extortion of money from me and my family. He never prepared any actual defense at all."
Henthorn writes that during the trial, Truman supplied him with a broken pen. "This prevented me from assisting with and being part of my defense".
"He was not working on my behalf but mislead(sic) me only for his own financial gain. It is not right or fair to defended(sic) in a murder trial by someone being dishonest or deceptive for their own personal advantage. Therefore I am requesting a re- trial with representation from an ethical attorney".
Henthorn's previous appeals have been rejected at every level. The United States Supreme Court refused to hear his case.
UPDATE: Convicted Wife-Killer Harold Henthorn Back In Court, Claims Attorney 'Sold Me Down The River'
