The First Season of ‘Wild Crime,’ Centered on the Murder Investigation of Toni Henthorn in Rocky Mountain National Park, Will Premiere Exclusively on Hulu Tuesday, September 28
Eighty-five million acres make up the National Park System, and only 33 special agents nationwide are responsible for investigating crimes that occur on this public land. In ABC News’ first Hulu Original series production, “Wild Crime” chronicles this uniquely qualified team that leads the investigations as they seek to bring law and order to some of America’s most rugged and remote landscapes, tackling a new case each season.
The first installment of the series, which will debut exclusively on Hulu on Tuesday, Septembedr 28, with one episode dropping each night through Friday, October 1, centers on the murder of Toni Henthorn in Rocky Mountain National Park and the investigation into her husband, Harold Henthorn, through the eyes of National Park Service Special Agent Beth Shott and rangers. Over the course of four one-hour episodes, docuseries “Wild Crime” dives into the couple’s troubling relationship dynamic.
While Toni and Harold are on a romantic anniversary getaway to Rocky Mountain National Park, Toni suspiciously falls to her death off of a remote cliff, and Shott investigates what may be more than an accident. The investigation into Toni’s murder also leads agent Shott to reexamine the violent and mysterious death of Harold’s first wife, Lynn, 17 years earlier. In the middle of it all is a little girl named Haley, Toni and Harold’s daughter, whose life could hang in the balance. The clock ticks for investigators to put the pieces of this puzzle together.
Produced in the Summer of 2020, the series features interviews with Special Agent Shott, fellow ISB special agents and NPS rangers, FBI agent Jonny Grusing, assistant United States attorneys Valeria Spencer and Suneeta Hazra, as well as family and friends of the Henthorns, including Toni’s father Bob Bertolet, Toni’s brother Todd Bertolet, and experts who’ve covered the case including author Caleb Hannan.
“Wild Crime” is produced for Hulu by ABC News and Lone Wolf Media. Lisa Q. Wolfinger is executive producer and director, and Rushmore DeNooyer is series producer. David Sloan serves as senior executive producer for ABC News.
EPISODE SYNOPSIS
“She Had a Bad Fall”
Harold Henthorn makes a harrowing 911 phone call, reporting that his wife Toni is gravely injured after falling off a cliff on a remote wilderness trail. By the time a ranger arrives on the scene, Toni is dead. After a routine investigation, suspicious details emerge, including that Harold’s account of the accident is inconsistent and contradicts itself. Special Agent Beth Shott of the Investigative Services Branch (ISB), the detective force of the National Park Service (NPS), starts her work on the case. At the same time, authorities begin to receive anonymous letters and phone calls, leading them to reopen an investigation into the death of Harold’s first wife, Lynn Rishell Henthorn, who died 17 years prior.
“The First Wife”
As Special Agent Shott investigates the suspicious death of Harold’s wife Toni, anonymous letters and phone calls lead authorities to reopen an investigation into the death 17 years earlier of Harold’s first wife, Lynn Rishell Henthorn, in what had appeared to be a freak accident on a remote mountain road. Shott and two of the original investigators on the case mount a new inquiry into the incident.
“A Third Victim?”
As the investigation into the suspicious death of Toni continues, Special Agent Shott learns something startling about Harold’s unusually close relationship with his sister-in-law. As the case grows in complexity, Shott is joined by FBI agent Jonny Grusing, who specializes in serial killers.
“Justice for Haley”
A search of the Henthorn home leads investigators to expose one of Harold’s biggest secrets. Shott and Grusing, her FBI partner, are confident that Harold murdered Toni, but they must assemble an airtight case with every scrap of evidence they can find. Criminal profiler Bryanna Fox provides additional insights into Harold’s background and behavior, leading investigators to worry that Harold and Toni’s young daughter, Haley, could also have been in danger.
