But it's a bittersweet victory. Judge John Wolf: And to the charge of coercion? She was learning to play the piano. But then, Nichols claims, Rhonda asked him a startling question completely out of the blue. Then, for the second time in our "48 Hours" interview, Nichols brings up the topic of suicide. I couldn't believe it. He lost like a quarter of a million dollars. Rhonda told her mom about going on the hike, "He's either gonna give me a ring or he's gonna throw me off the cliff." (The Hood River County, Oregon, District Attorneys Office, which brought the charges against Nichols, declined to comment.). Shortly afterward, Nichols moved across the state with his daughter to live with family. Carrie Rasmussen [in court]: For years, the District Attorney's Office has believed that Mr. Nichols is responsible for the death of Rhonda Casto. But I've never physically hurt anyone. Stephen Nichols: We were planning on getting married both in America and China to make it official. Now Police Say Boyfriend 'Internally Decapitated' Her, 'People Magazine Investigates' : Inside Decades-Old Disappearances of 5 People Along the Snake River, 4 Years After Wash. It's one of those things where you think you're in a dream and you're gonna wake up at any time I'm like, "OK, I'm gonna wake up in China. They went hiking in Oregons Columbia River Gorgea place of stunning beauty and unforgiving cliffs. Love the hike, this is one of the happiest days of my life. Six years later, Nichols was charged with murder in 2015. You seemed unmoved by Rhonda's death. I was crying nonstop. Stephen Nichols was accused of pushing his fiance to her death off a dangerous hiking trail in 2009. Renee Ellory has written this blog since 2006, dedicating her free time to help others understand people. Stephen Nichols: We made it a pact that we would hike 20 or 25 of the top trails in Oregon. Mike Arnold: It's still a long fight ahead. Rhonda's best friend, Jessica Colburn, wasn't surprised Stephen was instantly attracted to Rhonda, who was an aspiring model. I doubt that. Let's make it work.". I love Rhonda. Jessica Colburn | Rhonda's friend: Yes. That's the first thing I did when I got there. I have nobody. Did she tumble forward? Deception Detection & Credibility Training, https://www.eyesforlies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/black-logo-smaller.jpg, 48 Hours: Stephen Nichols and Rhonda Castro, Casey Anthony: Where The Truth Lies Analysis, Bachelorette contender Tino Francos true desire. SHe is an opportunistic, lying piece of crap in my view! What do you believe? Julia Simmons: I don't see how you could do that, how you could take a mother away from her child by killing her. I think she held on for longer for the sake of the baby. The comments below have not been moderated. For defense attorney Mike Arnold, representing Stephen Nichols gives new meaning to the phrase "full-time job.". He chased after her, but by the time he reached her body he collapsed from exhaustion and hypothermia. He remains on parole for three years. Stephen Nichols: That's [laughs] of course that's not what I'm saying. "She was trying to get up the courage to do it," says Julia Simmons. Stephen Nichols: The police never once asked me if it was a suicide. Peter Van Sant: What'd you do when you got to her? There's just a footprint. 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. Instead she got a brand new life insurance policy and a special invitation for a hiking date in a wet Oregon spring on a trail where several people had recently fallen to their deaths. But in April 2016, with a trial date nowhere in sight, Judge John Olson reduced Nichols' bail to $250,000. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. in philosophy from West Chester University, M.A.R. Stephen Nichols: I had a three-bedroom condo and the other two rooms were just empty. Nichols says he believes prescription drugs played a part in Castos death, which he called an accident, and he claims he later discovered she was using marijuana and also taking medication to lose weight and for depression. He was arrested over . Judge John Olsen: To that charge, what's your plea?. When I'm really, really sad, I just -- I close down. Stephen Nichols: I hate all the suicide questions. People can reach whatever conclusion they want. And I felt like it happened out of nowhere. It definitely motivates Renee to continue to dedicate her time when she is available. I'm checking out. Carrie Rasmussen [in court]: When you look at the relationship that the defendant then had with Rhonda Casto, Notes from a therapist Rhonda had been seeing reveal she was depressed but not suicidal from her relationship with Stephen, which she described as "loveless.". I fully expected to spend the rest of my life with her, I have never done anything to harm her. [Pauses, looks away from Van Sant]. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Bungling helicopter pilot blows over stadium roof injuring eight, Vanessa Feltz says BBC bosses 'don't value older presenters', BBC Breakfast celebrates forty years of hilarious bloopers, Royal Family will find it 'impossible' to compromise with Sussexes, Ken Bruce will be joining the Greatest Hits Radio family in April, As it happened: UK Government blocks Scotland's new gender law, Russian pro-war fanatic warns Britain could be 'wiped off the map', Extinction Rebellion douse the Home Office building in black paint, Motorists slowly drive down snowy hill in treacherous conditions, Russian marksman flees Ukraine to reunite with wife before being shot, Harrowing moment woman begs father not to kill himself, Kamala opts out of kneeling with Biden for Warriors photo op. Since this broadcast last aired, Stephen Nichols publicly admitted to having sex with Rhonda's younger sister, Melanie. Nichols has denied all of these claims. We'll just start crossing 'em off the list. Nichols said that he met Melanie about three months after meeting Casto, and that he knew she was underage when he had sex with her. I -- I've witnessed their fights. Peter Van Sant: Why didn't you tell them back in the day that suicide was something she was contemplating? Turn on push notifications and don't miss anything! Nichols told CBS's 48 Hours that the couple took up hiking after Ava's birth because the aspiring model wanted to lose the baby weight. Stephen Nichols in Virginia We found 25 records for Stephen Nichols in Arlington, Chantilly and 18 other cities in Virginia. I said, "Why do you want this life insurance?" Stephen Nichols had been charged with murder in the 2009 death of 23-year-old Rhonda Casto, the mother of their then-infant child. And I said, "Of course. I could tell that she valued intelligence and I've always thought that that's one of my strongest assets. Stephen Nichols: Either I pushed her, she jumped of her own accord or she slipped. And then, just when we thought this story had come to an end, our interview with Nichols took a turn into the surreal. Her friends described her relationship with Nichols as volatile, and her mother says she was considering ending things with him before she died. stephen nichols rhonda castro. I wanted my daughter back. It's a story "48 Hours" has been following since 2015. She had a baby at home that needed her.'. She was the heaviest she had ever been, and she felt really disgusting. But Rhonda's autopsy would show that she only had traces of marijuana as well as prescription drugs for anxiety and depression in her system. And then in May, in a move that angered Castos family, prosecutors dropped the murder charge against Nichols. Stephen Nichols: I'm trying to think of a way to think of this. His condo, his money, his -- you know, his status. And she goes, "Because I wanna leave our daughter something in case I die.". olive tree children ministries; teaching blog; about our ministry; salvation prayer; contact us After Rhonda went off the trail, Nichols says he hiked down the deep ravine. as far as your opinion thats totally fine.. You guys do realize I simply put my relatively uninformed opinion based off of 20 seconds up right? We hardly ever fought, he says. Dr. Christopher Young [in court]: I can tell that -- based on the injuries that she has, she -- she landed -- predominantly on her legs and her pelvis. I got really upset. In 2005, Nichols, who was 10 years older than Rhonda and recently divorced, was working as a day trader. Looking for Stephen Nichols in California? She was going to move out, but she was trying to get up the courage to do it. Nichols was arrested for murder in February 2015, accused of pushing his girlfriend Rhonda Casto off a trail in Oregon six years earlier. I just love it because she just looks amazing in all of those pictures. I was on the phone a couple of times when they were in a physical fight, actually. Prosecutors believed he pushed her off the Eagle Creek trail cliff, causing her to fall 100 feet to. I'll just bide my time and wait until you screw up or when you die, because I know you're gonna go to hell for what you did. And she goes over. Rhonda's younger sister, Tessa, was just nine years old at the time. Casto's mother Julia Simmons told Salinas: '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.'. She is in a good place and not hurting or unhappy, Simmons says of Casto. But having now admitted to inappropriate behavior with a 13-year-old girl, pleading to having sex with Rhonda's underage sister and playing a role in Rhonda's death, Nichols' chances of regaining custody of his daughter are in jeopardy. Center Address: 1 Bethel Valley Road Oak Ridge, TN 37831 Mail Stop: 6016 Bldg: 5600 | Room: D335 Contact: nicholsss@ornl.gov +1-865-341-0429. People that have to make up lies are, you know, you can obviously tell that they're guilty. Prosecution aims to prove Casto death was no accident, Stephen Nichols on his freedom and family. Stephen Nichols: I'm not going to comment on that. If your sig other wants to climb a mountain, tell them to go by themselves ! Prosecutors don't agree and want a jury to see a picture taken by Rhonda showing red marks left from an alleged physical encounter with Nichols. After having her baby, Rhonda gained a little weight and wanted to lose it, said Nichols, so he suggested they go hiking. Judge John Wolf: What is your plea to the charge of criminally negligent homicide? He wrote and directed his first short film, Get the Dime, starring Daniel Bess Emily Bergl and Robert Picardo. Stephen Nichols: I turn around and I look at her and my tongue pretty much hit the floor. On top of that, the claims from the other people didnt mean much in regards to whether or not Stephen may have killed her- they were just claims of him saying something to her that wasnt very nice. Just love it Because she just looks amazing in all of those pictures browser, in. Surprised stephen was instantly attracted to Rhonda, who was an aspiring model to! Of nowhere when they were in a physical fight, actually you do when got... Of Cookies Columbia River Gorgea place of stunning beauty and unforgiving cliffs Olson. Fight, actually don & # x27 ; t miss anything on longer! Your sig other wants to climb a mountain, tell them to by. 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