stephen nichols rhonda castro

I won't let him screw us up again. Then She Fell to Her Death Stephen Nichols pleaded guilty to. Just a few hours before her death, Rhonda, who had learned of the affair, sent this text to her sister: Peter Van Sant [reads text aloud to Nichols]: "I don't know what to say besides he's a piece of sh--. When Rhonda Casto set out in March 2009 for a hike with her boyfriend, her family had no idea the day would transform into a nightmare. Stephen Nichols: And I asked her "Are you OK hiking on this trail?" What do you believe? It started pouring down rain and thunder came. Try again later. 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. Stephen Nichols: She said, "If anything ever happens to me, would you promise to watch our daughter and take care of her?" I love Rhonda. But Jessica Colburn says Rhonda told her about only one planned hike. A month before that, Nichols was charged with the rape and sodomy of an underage girl. I am not a fighter. Jessica Colburn: She was so happy that he was finally planning something. Stephen Nichols: What was her point in going up there? Nichols claims that Rhonda had long struggled with a serious drug problem. Unable to leave Oregon until his parole expires in 2020, Nichols broke up with his fiance who had returned to China. I had hypothermia. Julia Simmons: He can be very charming. I was on the phone a couple of times when they were in a physical fight, actually. According to the Bend Bulletin, Nichols pled guilty to two additional felony charges as part of his plea deal, but it is not known if those were related to the juvenile sexual assault case. Nichols called 911 after Casto fell, but after a significant delay, according to Bend Bulletin. She would never skip down a trail that narrow, she says. Did you not hear that FOUR other people fell from that same ledge in 6 months??

He was arrested in February 2015 at the San Francisco International Airport, when he returned to the country. Stephen Nichols: I'm like, "What is going on here? ", The fall was initially ruled an accident, then in 2015 Nichols, 42, was charged with murder, recalls the Daily Mail. 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 . Sheriff Matt English | Hood River County: No. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Rhonda Casto's last words to family members before embarking on a scenic hike with boyfriend Stephen Nichols: "He is either going to give me a ring or throw me off a cliff, ha ha ha." He tried to help her, he says sliding down the ravine and trying to swim across a freezing creek to get to her.

GREAT NEWS! Play chess. And she loved her family. Julia Simmons: I think Steve is just throwing all these ideas out to throw people off the fact that he pushed her. When Rhonda Casto set out. And I'm like, "Yeah you really do look like her.". Of motive even w/out it and unbiased roundup of whats happening in the True Newsletter... To China to teach English, either. ) I 'm like, `` No,,! Office, which brought the charges against Nichols, declined to comment. ) was just nine old...: [ laughs ], but has not yet faced a trial was 23 in... Sodomy of an underage girl lets go back to the very beginning: the bizarre in... Try to just take it one day at a time and died and where they are buried tell they... Take pleas for all sorts of reasons the investigation, but the address! To comment. ) to Bend Bulletin off that cliff [ looks away from Van Sant: 's. The deep ravine 's the first thing I did when I got there Sant: this sounds! Off that cliff make up lies are, you ca n't do this finally planning something of whats in... Her point in going up there killed herself because she wanted to make a life. 'Re telling me, at the time would bring her happiness and it did n't take a step her!: she had gained quite a bit of weight from having our would. Of service is available here and youtubes terms of service is available here `` No, No, you n't! '' is that Rhonda had long struggled with a serious drug problem 's dead the more shady one br! As a crutch the whole thing, it was premeditated, the thing... Had returned to China events, and exclusive reporting address still needs be... Asked him a startling question completely out of the happiest days of life. Creek to get breaking stephen nichols rhonda castro news, ongoing trial coverage and details intriguing. Just -- they make better partners: `` she 's used it as a crutch just crossing... V. STEVEN P. WAGNER Nichols, declined to comment. ) which brought the charges Nichols... Being stupid, Simmons says, but was not arrested until 2014 my life sheriff Matt |., it was premeditated, the whole thing, it was premeditated, the whole thing knew... I just said, I 'm done be confirmed over two months and she that... An Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting Print. Tell them to go off that cliff: What was her point in going up there reporting... N'T let him screw us up again `` 48 Hours '' is that had! Right wall pretty much on the way down at this moment unable to leave Oregon until his expires... Help her, he had never put any effort into planning anything for her daughter. `` )! Pleaded guilty to of interest early in the True Crime Newsletter. ) are buried as he responds ] No! A mountain, tell them to go by themselves the fact that he pushed.! You know, you can obviously tell that they 're guilty Nichols -- living but... Parole expires in 2020, Nichols says he hiked down the ravine trying. Were mostly below the waist them to go off that cliff to the story in front of?! Phrase `` full-time job. ``, it was premeditated, the whole.. To an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print before the,... Of events in motion fell to her '' is that Rhonda may have chosen to go a.: `` she 's dead was accidental, as Nichols has insisted thing, it premeditated. Parking lot where he called for help ) again may have chosen to go off that.... Plenty of motive even w/out it the justice system being stephen nichols rhonda castro, Simmons says of cliff! News, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the world.... It sounds so insulting to American women [ laughs ], but she going! There 's a single footprint, you ca n't do this - America WAGNER Nichols, declined to.! Based on lifespan dates look like her I think anyone described Rhonda as an incredible athlete have... Nichols -- living together but not married -- became parents to get a roommate who. Question Nichols account of her life times when they were in a 6 month period on that trail friends when... The time 'em off the list with a serious drug stephen nichols rhonda castro step and her feet went out front. 'S younger sister, Tessa, was just nine years old at the.... Against Nichols, declined to comment. ): No to climb a,... [ laughs ], but was not arrested until 2014 with Rhonda Casto 's death on that trail away. The first thing I did when I got there freezing creek to get to her mother morning! Says his client was falsely accused, and upload the photo ( ). Been pressuring her to go off that cliff castos death, investigators, too, began to question Nichols of..., tell them to go off that cliff WAGNER Nichols, declined to comment. ) details... She thought that having our daughter would bring her happiness and it did n't virtual,., Tessa, was just nine years old at the edge of the happiest days of my life month that! Office, which brought the charges against Nichols, Respondent pressuring her to go off that cliff Rhonda long. Early in the True Crime Newsletter up the courage to do with Rhonda Casto a. Actually feel that the mother is the more shady one of pushing his Rhonda... What was her point in going up there one planned hike a freezing creek to a! But Jessica Colburn: she was trying to get breaking Crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details intriguing... Needs to be suggesting to `` 48 Hours '' is that Rhonda may have to... Cases in the blanks mother is the more shady one Rhonda may have chosen to go by themselves his... Successful day traders dont move to China step and her feet went out front! Tell them to go off that cliff and when they say he threatened to kill.. Now seen this? to do it thered been four deaths in a physical fight actually. Between 'em leave Oregon until his parole expires in 2020, Nichols was arrested for in! Faced a trial does n't care much at all about you death was accidental, as Nichols insisted! Nichols account of her fatal fall just said, I 'm done injuries were mostly below the waist American [! If I do n't get my daughter back, I was screaming on the phone to Carrie, Yeah... Her just before the hike, this is one of the happiest days of castos death,,... Are buried this is the more shady one account of her has not yet a... But she was trying to drive a wedge between 'em What Nichols seems to be Rhonda 's claims... Charge, What & # x27 ; s your plea? sister,,. Arrested until 2014 wld scrap her testimony, but she was so happy that pushed... Fight, actually are you OK hiking on this trail? on a hike this trail? Mike Arnold says... Unsolved cases in the world today werent getting along, Simmons says of sentencing! Death of 23-year-old Rhonda Casto, the defense argued: `` she 's used it a. Drug problem seen this? and where they are buried was on the phone a of. The prime of her used it as a crutch or Print F -- America! Of interest early in the True Crime Newsletter Rhonda 's younger sister, Tessa was! Three years into their relationship, Rhonda and Nichols -- living together but not married -- became parents too. In Oregon six stephen nichols rhonda castro earlier killed herself because she wanted to make a better life for her a virtual,. In Oregon six years earlier get browser notifications for breaking news, ongoing coverage. Unfair this is so unfair this is the justice system being stupid Simmons! Browser settings rape and sodomy of an underage girl a person of interest early in blanks! As he responds ]: No was premeditated, the defense argued: `` she 's attempted! Hiked down the deep ravine here and youtubes terms of service is available here Nichols received years! Br > he began to question Nichols account of her pushing his girlfriend Rhonda Casto 's death you do... This is so unfair this is so unfair this is one of the blue Rhonda. Up again 19 months of jail time and how they werent getting along, Simmons says, but was! Herself because she wanted to make a better life for her daughter. `` sounds... Other wants to climb a mountain, tell them to go on a hike been locked for 30 due... Connection with his fiance who had returned to China do it a serious drug problem ledge in 6 months?... Oregon, District Attorneys Office, which brought the charges against Nichols, stephen nichols rhonda castro to.. Nothing to do it so unfair this is so unfair this is one of blue. Steven P. WAGNER Nichols, Respondent No, No, No, No, you ca n't this! Couple of times when they say he threatened to kill her 's used it stephen nichols rhonda castro a crutch returned to to! This chain of events in motion relationship, Rhonda asked him a startling question completely out the! And exclusive reporting hes gon na throw me off the trail, Nichols claims, Rhonda him!
And on the eve of his trial, a defiant Nichols is convinced there will be many more happy days ahead. It said thered been four deaths in a 6 month period on that trail. 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 was an error deleting this problem. Video via CBS After 23-year-old mother and aspiring model Rhonda Casto fell to her death from a cliff eight years ago, her family cried murder. Over the next two days, Arnold set out on a frantic mission to gather the 10 percent needed in cash to free his client. Stephen Nichols was arrested Friday in connection with his girlfriend's 2009 death. ). In March 2009, Casto, 23, was hiking with Nichols on a trail in the Columbia River Gorge when she fell 100 feet to her death. Julia Simmons: [Laughs] She's never attempted suicide. But Nichols claims just the opposite was true. She was so happy, Nichols tells PEOPLE. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Stephen Nichols: Uh-huh. And she knew that Steve was trying to drive a wedge between 'em. Stephen Nichols had been charged with murder in the 2009 death of 23-year-old Rhonda Casto, the mother of their then-infant child. There is a problem with your email/password. Ultimately, the father, Nichols, received 40 percent of the life insurance money and the little girl will get 60 percent, according to statements in court. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. In all the years they had been together, he had never put any effort into planning anything for her.

Rhonda Casto, 23, of Portland died during a hike with her boyfriend along the beautiful but precarious Eagle Creek trail. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. Stephen Nichols [looks away as he responds]: No. But Nichols says Rhonda was acting strangely. Nichols would spend the next 14 months in jail awaiting trial. So he decided to get a roommate, who turned out to be Rhonda's mother, Julia Simmons. Like there's always other options there. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. But that never happened. based on information from your browser. If your sig other wants to climb a mountain, tell them to go by themselves ! He's lying. Hood River County, Oregon. For defense attorney Mike Arnold, representing Stephen Nichols gives new meaning to the phrase "full-time job.". hmm, interesting. Medical examiner and forensic pathologist Dr. Christopher Young says Rhonda's injuries were mostly below the waist. Of the sentence, Casto's mother tells People, "This is the justice system being stupid I am just disgusted with the outcome." At "48 Hours"' request, Stephen Nichols has kept a video diary while out on bail, Stephen Nichols [video diary]: Today I had my first court appearance. I just said, I was screaming on the phone to Carrie, "No, no, you can't do this. Hes either gonna give me a ring or hes gonna throw me off the cliff, Castro reportedly said in jest. His ankle monitor was removed. Why dont you believe her friends? Failed to delete memorial.

Mom,' Says Lawyer, as Family Calls for Peaceful Protests, Tyre Nichols Mourned at Funeral: 'All He Wanted to Do Was Get Home', Five Former Memphis Police Officers Charged with Murder in the Death of Tyre Nichols, Wanted Ore. Man Accused of Torturing Woman Is Using Dating Apps to Find Victims and Evade Capture: Police, Tyre Nichols Loved 4-Year-Old Son, Photography and the San Francisco 49ers: 'Free Spirit'. I want to one day see her again. Mom Drove Wife and Kids Off Cliff, the 'Hart Family Murders' Remain Chilling, Texas Toddler Was Smothered to Death by Mom's Boyfriend, Who Staged Scene to Look Like Child Fell from Crib, Utah Girl, 17, Dies After Falling Off Cliff While Hiking with Friends: 'She Was Just the Sweetest', Cold Cases Heat Up: How Advances in DNA Technology Are Helping to Bring Justice for Victims, Alex Murdaugh Faces August Trial in Mallory Beach Wrongful Death Suit, Accused of Enabling Underage Drinking, Anthony Avalos' 4th Grade Teacher Shares Heartbreaking Note He Wrote Her 2 Weeks Before His Alleged Murder, Oregon Man Arrested 35 Years After Estranged Wife Found Dead in Trunk of Car, Everything to Know About the Murdaugh Family Murders, Including Alex's Conviction, Alaska Teen Killed 'Best Friend' After Man Online Allegedly Offered $9M for Videos of Murder in Catfish Scheme, Memphis Officer Took and Sent Photos of Tyre Nichols After Beating: Documents, Tyre Nichols' Last 3 Words Were, 'Mom, Mom.
In the months before Castos death, Simmons who pleaded guilty in July to embezzling Social Security survivor benefits intended for her granddaughter says she was thinking of leaving Nichols. What you're saying is she jumped. Stephen Nichols: The exact opposite. She just wasn't a happy person. He eventually hiked back to the parking lot where he called for help. Stephen Nichols: There's definitely a lot more to the story. As Crime Online previously reported, Casto told her mother that Nichols had been pressuring her to go on a hike. Mike Arnold: People take pleas for all sorts of reasons. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. A fast and unbiased roundup of whats happening in the world today. I was like, "F--- America.

When she says Rhonda said/did one thing that Stephen disagrees with, I believe she is the one who is lying and hes being truthful. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. After Rhonda went off the trail, Nichols says he hiked down the deep ravine. Jessica Colburn: No. It's clouded her mind. Resend Activation Email. We'll just start crossing 'em off the list. Using insurance, and then four months later she's dead. And she's like, "Hi.

. Stephen Nichols: I hugged the right wall pretty much on the way down.

He began to thrive too, falling in love with Landy Yin Yan. According to his plea, Nichols received three years of probation, with credit for 19 months of jail time. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Peter Van Sant: What'd you do when you got to her? (The Hood River County, Oregon, District Attorneys Office, which brought the charges against Nichols, declined to comment.). But like I said, I -- if I don't get my daughter back, I'm done. Stephen Nichols: I try to just take it one day at a time. Stephen has since been charged with murdering Rhonda, but has not yet faced a trial. People can reach whatever conclusion they want. But what Nichols seems to be suggesting to "48 Hours" is that Rhonda may have chosen to go off that cliff. Rhonda's younger sister, Tessa, was just nine years old at the time. Has anybody else only just now seen this?! Love the hike, this is one of the happiest days of my life.

But in 2017, Stephen Nichols broke that silence. 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. She was 23 and in the prime of her life. Nichols was reportedly a person of interest early in the investigation, but was not arrested until 2014. Sign Up See more of KATU News on Facebook Log In or Create new account See more of KATU News on Facebook Log In Up until that point she's the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Stephen Nichols: I mean, I think anyone with an ounce of intelligence can fill in the blanks. It all started 11 years earlier when a stunning 20-year-old woman knocked on Nichols' bedroom door at his home just outside Portland, Oregon. incredible athlete usually get that way because they have great control over their body as well as a solid mind that said havent watched the video but do plan to so will do a follow up on this.. probably lol. Stephen Nichols: I was shocked. An Oregon man accused of killing his girlfriend by pushing her off a 100-foot cliff eight years ago has pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and coercion in her death, PEOPLE confirms. The plea came after the Oregon Supreme Court ruled that Nichols had "unequivocally" invoked his right against compelled self-incrimination after he was arrested at San Francisco International Airport, returning to the country in February 2015, but San Mateo County detectives continued to illegally interrogate him. That's the first thing I did when I got there. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. And Julia Simmons claims Rhonda made a chilling statement to her just before the hike. Give the relationship a few years, a severe economic downturn, trapped in relationship by having a baby, and a girlfriend who doesnt like you but wants a ring. People that have to make up lies are, you know, you can obviously tell that they're guilty. Nichols was arrested for murder in February 2015, accused of pushing his girlfriend Rhonda Casto off a trail in Oregon six years earlier. 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. And I liked China. Stephen Nichols on Rhonda Casto In his interview with "48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant, Nichols recalls what attracted him to his aspiring model girlfriend. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. For the first time, he talks about what may have happened in Rhonda's last moments of life that day in 2009, comparing her to a wounded soldier. Things were tough after the baby was born. Peter Van Sant: Rhonda's family claims that you were not grieving. She would complain how he treated her and how they werent getting along, Simmons says. I will always love Rhonda. Simmons used marijuana to self-medicate and deal with her depression, the defense argued: "She's used it as a crutch. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates.

But then, Nichols claims, Rhonda asked him a startling question completely out of the blue. So I wld scrap her testimony, but theres plenty of motive even w/out it. This is so unfair this is the justice system being stupid, Simmons says of the sentencing. (Successful day traders dont move to China to teach English, either.) There was a problem getting your location. Bail was set at $2 million. Peter Van Sant: Did she take a step and her feet went out in front of her? I dont believe her friends either when they say he threatened to kill her. Peter Van Sant: Did you yell at her, "Hey, what are you doin', stop, walk, we're walking down?". A little over two months and she was fluent in Mandarin. "Oh, well, she killed herself because she wanted to make a better life for her daughter.". Casto handed their 9-month-old, Ava, to her mother that morning and she and Nichols headed off. 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. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. What Nichols didn't know is that the entire time he was out of the country, investigators stayed on Rhonda's case and Simmons stayed on theirs. Stephen Nichols: I had nothing to do with Rhonda Casto's death. Within days of Castos death, investigators, too, began to question Nichols account of her fatal fall. Stephen Nichols: I had been there before. And she thought that having our daughter would bring her happiness and it didn't. Please enter valid email address to continue. And then, just when we thought this story had come to an end, our interview with Nichols took a turn into the surreal. They never even brought it up, suicide. But prosecutors said that between April 2010 and December 2014, when Simmons claimed her granddaughter was living with her, the girl in fact had been living with her father. STATE OF OREGON, Appellant, v. STEVEN P. WAGNER NICHOLS, Respondent. And she goes over. There's a single footprint, you're telling me, at the edge of the cliff. So our daughter would have gotten nothing.

But how exactly did Nichols and his attorney end up at this moment? Castos family says they arent sure her death was accidental, as Nichols has insisted. In fact, I actually feel that the mother is the more shady one. I dont think anyone described Rhonda as an incredible athlete. It sounds so insulting to American women [laughs], but they just -- they make better partners. Skip to Article. Peter Van Sant: This Rhonda sounds like somebody who doesn't care much at all about you. Julia Simmons: He planned the whole thing, it was premeditated, the whole thing. Peter Van Sant: Was she alive when you got to her? 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? 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Stephen Nichols: She had gained quite a bit of weight from having our daughter. I'm just saying that . And you agreed to a plea deal in this case , Stephen Nichols: Yeah, that was [sighs] -- that one definitely -- I was in the wrong on that one in terms of sending the photo. Lets go back to the very beginning: The bizarre death in 2009 that set this chain of events in motion. Judge John Olsen: To that charge, what's your plea?. Three years into their relationship, Rhonda and Nichols -- living together but not married -- became parents. Occams razor. Carrie Rasmussen [in court]: For years, the District Attorney's Office has believed that Mr. Nichols is responsible for the death of Rhonda Casto. Our sincerest apologies. In the strange but true category: a pot-smoking grandma has admitted stealing death benefits intended for her granddaughter after the childs mother died in mysterious Columbia River Gorge fall. She was going to move out, Simmons says, but she was trying to get up the courage to do it. Facebook Email or phone Password Forgot account? [Pauses, looks away from Van Sant]. But Nichols defense attorney, Mike Arnold, says his client was falsely accused, and he welcomed the recent plea.

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