March 16, 2009 23-year-old Rhonda Castro and her boyfriend Steve Nichols set out the day of March 16 to hike a Eagle Creek Trail. 'Everything about her was impressive,'Nichols said of Casto in 2015. Stephen Nichols: [Laughs] That part I'm not gonna take you through, because she did fall off, and I can say I had absolutely nothing to do, either directly or indirectly, with her falling off. Stephen Nichols: If it's a suicide, life insurance doesn't pay out. Then, for the second time in our "48 Hours" interview, Nichols brings up the topic of suicide. But what Nichols seems to be suggesting to "48 Hours" is that Rhonda may have chosen to go off that cliff. Peter Van Sant: Did you have sex with her? The mother, however, I feel is trying to capitalise on the accident which is sad. So I wld scrap her testimony, but theres plenty of motive even w/out it. She goes, "I'll be fine." The Investigator book. Over the next two days, Arnold set out on a frantic mission to gather the 10 percent needed in cash to free his client. This week, Nichols was sentenced to time already served (19 months in jail) and three years' probation, reports People. Julia Simmons, Rhondas mother, rented a room from Stephen Nichols, and she decided to introduce her daughter to Nichols. I have no idea why she sent those. Colburn says Rhonda had grown unhappy and that the relationship had taken a dangerous turn. What really happened on Rhonda Casto's fatal hike. ', Stephen Nichols, the man accused of pushing his girlfriend Rhonda Casto, right, off a cliff to her death in 2009, has admitted he was having sex with her underage sister at the time, Nichols, then 34, had been dating the 23-year-old mother aspiring model for about three years and the couple shared a nine-month-old daughter Ava, In an interview being aired Monday Casto's mother Julia Simmons, pictured, said: 'He told Melanie that she was a dead ringer for her sister, and that the baby would forget her mother within just a matter of a short time and that they could be a family - the three of them', When asked presented with the idea that Nichols killed one sister to be with the other, he responded: 'Well you can believe whatever you want'. Stephen Nichols: The weather was excellent, actually. Stephen Nichols: We planned on getting married in the summer. I cant tell if he is lying. He tried to help her, he says sliding down the ravine and trying to swim across a freezing creek to get to her. Stephen Nichols: I'm trying to think of a way to think of this. The comments below have not been moderated. Gerry Tiffany | Lead investigator: Pretty much the next morning. Peter Van Sant: Let's get in that time machine and go back to March 16, 2009. And so she just started bolting down, like at a full sprint, running down the trail. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Love the hike, this is one of the happiest days of my life. It's a narrow trail. It's a final twist in a tragedy where only Nichols knows the real ending. Butt out Biden! The Apocalypse Music Quiz; Birthdays and Anniversaries. Mom Drove Wife and Kids Off Cliff, the 'Hart Family Murders' Remain Chilling, Minn. She is a scientifically tested and studied expert. Things were tough after the baby was born. Julia Simmons: I don't see how you could do that, how you could take a mother away from her child by killing her. Stephen Nichols: There's definitely a lot more to the story. Is Nichols being self-sacrificing, having said nothing about suicide until now -- even as he stands charged with murder -- or is he self-serving? He was arrested in February 2015 at the San Francisco International Airport, when he returned to the country. When I'm really, really sad, I just -- I close down. Jessica Colburn: She told me that he had -- in the recent months -- been physically abusive to her. But in April 2016, with a trial date nowhere in sight, Judge John Olson reduced Nichols' bail to $250,000. There's now zero-percent chance that Steve goes to prison for murder, that a jury gets it wrong. The little blue pill really is magic! We are no longer accepting comments on this article. "What were you thinking?" Salinas responds. Rhonda Casto's boyfriend, Steven P. Nichols (above left), was originally charged with murder. Julia Simmons: I kept calling and asking why anything -- nothing was happening. And then in May, in a move that angered Castos family, prosecutors dropped the murder charge against Nichols. "She was disillusioned about Steve. My daughter will be nudging me and we'll be back to normal." You seemed unmoved by Rhonda's death. They dated three years and had a little baby girl together. Boston had its Strangler. By Clicking "OK" or any content on this site, you agree to allow cookies to be placed. Jessica Colburn: She was so happy that he was finally planning something. Judge John Wolf: And to the charge of coercion? Available seven to nichols rhonda castro verdict, above you see. I will always love Rhonda. But something did happen. Peter Van Sant: So you're telling us you're completely innocent of these charges? She clearly just wanted money and thought she would score a payday here. Prosecutors believed he pushed her off the Eagle Creek trail cliff, causing her to fall 100 feet to. And she goes over. California had the Zodiac Killer. By Megan Sheets For Dailymail.com and Snejana Farberov For Dailymail.com and Stephanie Haney For Dailymail.com, Published: 15:57 GMT, 16 June 2018 | Updated: 18:07 GMT, 16 June 2018. According to his plea, Nichols received three years of probation, with credit for 19 months of jail time. This is cascading rain, like, you can actually just see the water flowing down the trail. Oak Ridge National Laboratory is managed by UT-Battelle for the US Department of Energy. Peter Van Sant: What are you saying, Stephen? I was just like, "After all this time, finally.". Nichols eventually agreed to split the money with Casto's mother and with the estate of his daughter. Nichols claims he took the deal for just one reason: time was running out to regain custody of his daughter. If your sig other wants to climb a mountain, tell them to go by themselves ! Stephen Nichols: Either I pushed her, she jumped of her own accord or she slipped. Julia Simmons: I started to cry. For more on Castos sudden death and the investigation that followed, subscribe now to PEOPLE or pick this weeks issue, on newsstands Friday. Peter Van Sant: Did you yell at her, "Hey, what are you doin', stop, walk, we're walking down?". Peter Van Sant [holding a photo of Rhonda]: Tell me about this. Julia Simmons: Yeah, right. He seems like a jerk, but I fail to see evidence that he pushed her. Please note because this is blog is over a decade old some information has been lost in the multiple transitions between platforms. The girl who fell and survived was playing sports and obviously very athletic at the time of her fall (which isnt the case with Rhonda), so being strong obviously has nothing to do with it. There's a single footprint, you're telling me, at the edge of the cliff. In 1996, he joined the cast of ABC's General Hospital as Stefan Cassadine; he exited the role in 2003.From 2009 to 2013, he portrayed the role of Tucker McCall on The Young and the . Landy would follow a few days later. I think she knew the relationship wasnt a good one, Sconce says. Stephen Nichols is the author of The Legacy of Luther (4.38 avg rating, 224 ratings, 41 reviews), Air America in Laos (4.40 avg rating, 30 ratings, 1 rev. The plea deal for Nichols came after the Oregon Supreme Court ruled in March 2017 that a detective should have stopped interrogating Nichols when the suspect said he did not want to discuss Casto's death. But Jessica Colburn says Rhonda told her about only one planned hike. Peter Van Sant: Was there a large skid mark on the -- on the path where she had slipped and went off? The man accused of pushing his girlfriend off a cliff to her death in 2009 has admitted he was having sex with her underage sister. She was the heaviest she had ever been, and she felt really disgusting. The little girl murdered as she clutched her father's hand: Dad was found 'cradling' his three-year-old 'Incel' killer's eight-minute reign of terror: Chilling footage shows Plymouth gunman Jake Davison wielding Pictured: Five-year-old girl knocked down and killed by a takeaway delivery driver as her devastated mother 'I've seen grittier performances in lost episodes of Crossroads': HENDRY DEEDES says Keir Starmer is Cut taxes now or the Tories will lose the next election, senior Conservative MPs tell Jeremy Hunt as Crowning jewel: Kim Kardashian buys Princess Diana's iconic amethyst-and-diamond cross necklace at auction Thrifty Kate strikes again! I was looking for a place, a room to rent. She broke into a run and, according to Nichols, she slipped on the wet path and fell more than 150 feet to her death. And she's like, "Hi. Stephen Nichols: No. Rhondas mother cashing the grandaughters death benefit checks seems also fishy to me. Wow! Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Three years later they welcomed Ava, who is now seven. Nichols got a job teaching English to Chinese businessmen. Stuart W Nichols, 95. Steve Nichols has been wrongfully accused of the murder of Rhonda Casto, who accidently fell off a cliff to her death in March of 2009. Judge John Wolf: What is your plea to the charge of criminally negligent homicide? What do you believe? Nichols says the question unnerved him, especially since three months earlier, he claims Rhonda had demanded he buy life insurance. olive tree children ministries; teaching blog; about our ministry; salvation prayer; contact us He has authored or edited more than thirty books, including volumes in the Guided Tour series . Peter Van Sant: So take me to the time of the fall. He has appeared in many other films including, Merchants of Venus with Michael York and Beverly D'Angelo, Cover Me, with . Travel chaos expected at the Port of Dover because FRENCH workers are taking part in a 'National Day of Bad news, men 'winter penis' might be real after all, doctors say. Stephen Nichols: She was adamant about it. Stephen Nichols: Everything about her was impressive. So 10 months later, when Nichols and his daughter arrived in San Francisco Stephen Nichols: They said something was wrong with my bags. And she goes, "I used to come up here with a bottle of vodka and a bag of weed." "that I am dead by 25.". In November 2003, Stephen was still married to his ex, an American woman, and living in China for the first time when his spouse accused him of trying to suffocate her and throw her over the railing of their eighth floor apartment. But this time, he's not speaking about Rhonda. Judge John Olsen: To that charge, what's your plea? Nichols has denied all of these claims. But really, when it comes down to it, I miss my daughter. So Nichols says the couple came up with an adventurous plan to lose weight. I made my way back to the car and called 911.. Murder Suspect Allegedly Stabbed Ex-Girlfriend and Set Her on Fire at Work, Calling Her a 'Witch', Ga. Man Arrested and Accused of Shooting 4-Year-Old Niece, but Family Insists Her Death Was Accident, Colo. Dad Accused of Trying to Kill 5-Year-Old Son by Assaulting Him, Pulling Him into Icy Creek, Gabby Petito's Mother Recalls Last Moments with Daughter Before She Left on Cross-Country Trip, Man Charged with Murdering Girlfriend Who Fell to Her Death on a Hike 6 Years Ago, Accused Killers of Ahmaud Arbery Go on Trial in 2020 Shooting Death of Unarmed Black Georgia Jogger, Woman Who Drove Hitchhiking Brian Laundrie Noticed 'Nothing Extraordinary' Until They Got Near Van. Stephen Nichols: I don't think I screamed anything at her. 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