The family of the first wife of Harold Henthorn — — have issued a statement saying they are grateful for the renewed investigation into both wives’ deaths.
The family of Sandra Lynn Rishell Henthorn, who died in 1995, say that they now hope that “justice will be served.”
Henthorn’s first wife was crushed beneath a car on Colorado 67 in Douglas County. Henthorn told police she was retrieving a lugnut when the Jeep slipped off the jack.
Henthorn’s second wife, Toni, died after she fell 140 feet during a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park in 2012.
In November, a grand jury indicted Harold Henthorn for murder. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond.
Officials have said they are now investigating the death of his first wife as well.
“Our family has known Harold Henthorn for nearly 40 years—first as a college friend, then as our sister Sandra Lynn’s husband,” the Rishell family said in its statement.
“After Lynn’s death, he remained part of the extended Rishell family. Over the years we spent time with Harold, Toni, and their daughter on vacations and visits to the East Coast and to Denver.
“When we learned of Toni’s death two years ago, we were shocked and saddened. At the same time, however, the baffling circumstances surrounding Toni’s death gave us a strong sense of déj… vu.
“As the investigation into Toni’s death progressed, it became clear that Harold Henthorn was not the man we thought we knew, and that he had in fact been lying to us for many years.”
The family asked that anyone with information in the case should contact Detective Dave Weaver of the Douglas County Sherriff’s Department by calling 303-660-7537 or by email at: deweaver@dcsheriff.net
