Did He Push Her Off a Cliff for $4.5 Million? | Marriage, Murder & Money

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Harold Henthorn took his wife Toni on a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park — and came home alone. What followed was a $4.5 million battle that exposed every vulnerability in their estate plan. In Part 2 of Marriage, Murder & Money, attorney and CPA Joe Cordell breaks down the Henthorn case from the inside — not as a crime story, but as a case study in how estate law responds when your spouse becomes your killer.

What this episode covers:

• How Harold secretly changed the beneficiary on Toni’s life insurance — from their daughter Haley’s trust to himself

• Why insurance companies filed interpleader actions instead of paying out — and what that tells you about your own policies

• How Toni’s family (the Bertolets) used probate as a weapon to freeze Harold’s access to her estate

• Why Harold was removed as personal representative and replaced with a court-appointed special administrator

• What the Slayer Statute is, and exactly how it blocked Harold from collecting on Toni’s $4.5 million

• The one estate planning move — naming a contingent beneficiary — that could have protected Haley from day one

The trial ends at the verdict. The estate battle is a different story entirely.

Marriage, Murder, and Money | Can a Murderous Spouse Inherit Your Estate? – EP. 219 – LTA

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What happens to your estate when your spouse is the one who killed you? This episode examines one of estate law’s darkest questions — and the answer will change how you think about everything you’ve signed. Attorney and CPA Joe Cordell opens a new mini-series exploring what happens to marital assets, life insurance, and inheritance rights when a spouse commits murder. Using the case of Harold and Toni Henthorn — a Colorado man convicted of pushing his wife off a cliff — Joe unpacks how estate planning and inheritance law respond when the person named as your beneficiary is also your killer. What is the slayer rule? How do courts apply it? And what legal presumptions built into marriage — joint asset ownership, healthcare proxies, life insurance beneficiaries, even the right to control your remains — create dangerous vulnerabilities that most people never plan for? This isn’t just true crime. It’s a masterclass in why estate planning decisions you make today matter far more than you realize.

Paris & Bigi Jackson vs. The Executors: Michael Jackson’s Estate Drama – PT2 – EP. 218 – LTA

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In Part 2 of this Life’s Third Act series, we continue breaking down the Michael Jackson estate and trust, focusing on the real-world conflicts that arise after the plan is in place. This episode explores the growing tension between trustees and beneficiaries, including disputes over spending, investment decisions like the upcoming biopic, and frustrations around communication and transparency. We also unpack how probate delays, IRS battles, and ongoing litigation have impacted distributions to Michael Jackson’s children, and why even a highly successful estate can still create friction. Finally, we bring it back to practical estate planning lessons, including how to structure communication, choose the right trustee, and draft a trust that anticipates conflict before it happens. Stay tuned as we turn one of the most high-profile estates in history into actionable guidance you can use in your own planning.

Call 866-323-7529 or visit https://cordellcordell.com/practice-areas/estate-planning/ to schedule an estate planning consultation. For a limited time, mention LIFE’S THIRD ACT for 15% off eligible estate planning services!

Paris & Bigi Jackson vs. The Executors: Michael Jackson’s Estate Drama – PT1 – EP. 217 – LTA

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More than 15 years after his death, Michael Jackson’s estate is still making headlines and still tied up in complex legal and financial issues. In Part 1 of this two-part series, Life’s Third Act breaks down how Jackson’s trust was structured, what went right, and what created ongoing complications. Joined by Mellany McDonald, Senior Litigation Attorney at Cordell & Cordell, the discussion uses Jackson’s estate as a real-world case study to explain how trusts actually function over time. From massive debt at the time of death to a dramatic financial turnaround, this episode explores how trusts operate not as static containers but as active, evolving entities that require strategy, management, and the right people in charge. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we dive deeper into the IRS battle and valuation disputes surrounding the estate.

Call 866-323-7529 or visit https://cordellcordell.com/practice-areas/estate-planning/ to schedule an estate planning consultation. For a limited time, mention LIFE’S THIRD ACT for 15% off eligible estate planning services!

Inside Robert Duvall’s Estate Plan (And Why It Worked) – PT2 – EP. 216 – Life’s Third Act

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In this episode of Life’s Third Act, we wrap up our two-part series on Robert Duvall by breaking down how his estate plan actually worked in practice. From trusts and LLCs to intellectual property management and real estate, we walk through the structures he used to protect his wealth, minimize conflict, and carry out his long-term goals. If Part 1 covered what he wanted to accomplish, Part 2 shows how he made it happen—and what you can learn from it when planning your own estate.

Call 866-323-7529 or visit https://cordellcordell.com/practice-areas/estate-planning/ to schedule an estate planning consultation. For a limited time, mention LIFE’S THIRD ACT for 15% off eligible estate planning services!