Julia Simmons: She says, "He's either gonna give me a ring or he's gonna throw me off the cliff.". Remember, Nichols climbed down 150 feet to where Rhonda's broken body lay. After spending 5.5 years exploring Pennsylvania, Jim discovered a love for New York and is excited to spend time exploring this great state and uncovering the best things to do here. Landy would follow a few days later. The waterfall is located at the end of a short and relatively easy hike, and it only takes about 5 minutes of walking to reach the base of this great waterfall. Eagle Cliff Falls was named this because of the look of a spread-wing eagle profile naturally carved into the rock face. I could tell that she valued intelligence and I've always thought that that's one of my strongest assets. But what Nichols seems to be suggesting to "48 Hours" is that Rhonda may have chosen to go off that cliff. Jessica Colburn: She was in therapy. © 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. It's a final twist in a tragedy where only Nichols knows the real ending. Stephen Nichols: She did fall off. people go cliff jumping into the river here, and there is some graffiti on the rocks. Stephen Nichols: I was shocked. Stephen Nichols: I've laid everything out there. And then, just when we thought this story had come to an end, our interview with Nichols took a turn into the surreal. While it almost looks man-made, this waterfalls is completely natural. It started pouring down rain and thunder came. And I can say I had absolutely nothing to do either directly or indirectly with her falling off. A railing has been set up on one side of the trail to keep you from slipping into the gorge below. So it sounds like a small price to pay to be there for when my client gets to see freedom for the first time in a year. Like there's always other options there. Stephen Nichols: If I don't have my daughter, then it's pretty much game over for me. Julia Simmons: I started to cry. Julia Simmons: He planned the whole thing, it was premeditated, the whole thing. Once you see the lake ahead, go right at the next trail junction and follow Eagle Lake Trail to the water's edge. Just be prepared as the water here can be very cold and the rocks quite slippery. For months following his February 2015 arrest for murder, Stephen Nichols faced pretrial hearings on a slew of issues from evidence to motive -- including whether there should even be a trial since the defense considers Rhonda Casto's death an accident. She's angry with you. And she's like, "Hi. But in April 2016, with a trial date nowhere in sight, Judge John Olson reduced Nichols' bail to $250,000. Because of the constant shade, however, it can be completely vacant on cooler days. Eagle tumbles down cliff face clutching prey in hair-raising hunt. …He's too narcissistic, egotistical, sociopath. So Nichols says the couple came up with an adventurous plan to lose weight. But it's justified as of that point. And she goes, "Because I wanna leave our daughter something in case I die.". Julia Simmons: He did rape my daughter. …"Oh, well, she killed herself because she wanted to make a better life for her daughter.". Nichols was arrested for murder in February 2015, accused of pushing his girlfriend Rhonda Casto off a trail in Oregon six years earlier. Tessa Simmons: When I first met Steve … he was really fun. That was my timetable. …But really, when it comes down to it, I miss my daughter. 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. I do. The pools are deep enough for cliff jumping, and there’s also a rope swing. You are putting someone out of their misery that essentially has zero chance of survival. 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. Dr. Christopher Young [in court]: The pelvis was essentially shattered. That's the first thing I did when I got there. In April 2014, a secret grand jury heard evidence and indicted Nichols for the murder of Rhonda Casto. Stephen Nichols: I had actually proposed to her right before I came back to America. Peter Van Sant: That's terrible. Many have died from doing this in New England. And I just immediately fell in love with her. But this time, he's not speaking about Rhonda. But how exactly did Nichols and his attorney end up at this moment? However, in addition to the well-known falls, there are also some hidden gems in this corner of the Finger Lakes. Stephen Nichols: She asked me if anything ever happened to her would I promise to take care of her daughter. It's just the way I deal with pain. It's a final twist in a tragedy where only Nichols knows the real ending. Carrie Rasmussen [in court]: On the night of Rhonda Casto's death, the defendant didn't run to where his daughter was. Carrie Rasmussen [in court]: What the state has to prove in this case is the defendant did a criminal act. Stephen Nichols: Again, something I'm not going to comment on…. Stephen Nichols: I hugged the right wall pretty much on the way down. Everything, Steve. Stephen Nichols: And I asked her … "Are you OK hiking on this trail?" Stephen Nichols: She said, "If anything ever happens to me, would you promise to watch our daughter and take care of her?" He wasn't around as much. Mike Arnold: When you have a case where someone's falsely accused, you can't really separate yourself from work and home life. But investigators believe there really was a relationship between Nichols and Melanie, one that continued on and off for four years, right up to that fateful last hike. And there are allegations of another physical assault of a woman with eerie similarities to what Nichols stands accused of now -- allegations made by his ex-wife. Eagle Falls is located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, about two hours east of Sacramento. In fact, just after his arrest for murder, Nichols was indicted on two counts of third-degree rape and three counts of third-degree sodomy for allegedly having sexual relations with an underage Melanie back in 2005. It seems a dangerous word game. Palouse Falls, LaCrosse. I somehow got incredibly lucky and arrived at the waterfall just as a large crowd was leaving and had about 10 minutes to enjoy the falls with just my family until the next group came. Eagle Cliff Falls in Havana Glen Park is one of these. Colburn says Rhonda had grown unhappy and that the relationship had taken a dangerous turn. The area around Watkins Glen, New York, is filled with many fantastic waterfalls. Julia Simmons: She would not be a normal child. It's a theory that could support Nichols' new suggestion of suicide. Nichols says Rhonda seemed focused on the future as they drove to Eagle Creek Trail. I wanted my daughter back. My name is Rhonda.". Visit the falls on both the American and Canadian sides and head out on the famous Maid of the Mist boat to get an up-close view in the heart of the falls. There's a single footprint, you're telling me, at the edge of the cliff. Stephen Nichols: No. An investigation into Rhonda's death was immediately launched and a memorial was held. She goes, "I'll be fine." Like, I'm very prim and proper. She was taking Tae Kwon Do. After Rhonda went off the trail, Nichols says he hiked down the deep ravine. Peter Van Sant: So take me to the time of the fall. Peter Van Sant: Did you put Rhonda out of misery that day? Stephen Nichols [looks away as he responds]: No. …So that's just another one of his lies … to take the heat off of himself. Jessica Colburn says Rhonda did suffer from postpartum depression. I was on the phone a couple of times when they were in a physical fight, actually. Please don't, don't plead out.". Since the pools are 20-feet deep, it's also a popular cliff-diving spot complete with rope swings. One, the sheer beauty of the hike. Stephen Nichols: She had gained quite a bit of weight from having our daughter. For defense attorney Mike Arnold, representing Stephen Nichols gives new meaning to the phrase "full-time job.". ... Eagle Falls. Jessica Colburn: That was part of her modeling portfolio. And she goes, "I wanna be back with my dad.". …I was always over there. Julia Simmons: She loved her sister. Havana Glen Falls is located just outside of Montour Falls in Schuyler County, New York. And there's more. Mike Arnold: Between the physical evidence and the science, there won't be much dispute about this bein' -- a tragic accident on a dangerous trail. Stephen Nichols says this is how the tragedy unfolded: they were heading down the trail, Rhonda is in a great mood and jokingly she had put a towel around her shoulders and was calling herself Supergirl. …I said, "Why do you want this life insurance?" But Rhonda may have been thinking about more than their daughter. And she took pictures of them in the mirror. Three months after Stephen Nichols' arrest in 2015, his attorney, Mike Arnold, took his own investigative team up the Eagle Creek Trail where, he believes, Rhonda Casto slipped and fell to her death. But the case took a bizarre turn with an outcome no one saw coming and an interview that left correspondent Peter Van Sant asking, what really did happen to Rhonda Casto along the Oregon's Eagle Creek trail? She was going down at-- almost a run pace. And I said, "Of course. His ankle monitor was removed. Stephen Nichols: I try to just take it one day at a time. Stephen Nichols: Well … I held her. Stephen Nichols was accused of pushing his fiancée to her death off a dangerous hiking trail in 2009. Medical examiner and forensic pathologist Dr. Christopher Young says Rhonda's injuries were mostly below the waist. Stephen Nichols: We planned on getting married in the summer. But Nichols says Rhonda was acting strangely. Eagle Cliff Falls is a 40-foot waterfall that flows almost impossibly between two towering rock walls. ... Once arrived, enjoy scattered waterfalls, cliff jumping, and of course, plenty of soaking spots. Hike through Red River Gorge. Whether you want to sun on the rocks, pack a picnic to enjoy with the best of companies, or bring your favorite flamingos to float down the river, there's plenty to do at this natural pool. Nichols packed up and headed to Wuxi, about 75 miles from Shanghai. However, if you don’t mind getting a bit wet, there are a lot of great views to be had while exploring the area around the base of the falls. Stephen Nichols: I can say this with being with so many American women, Chinese women -- all-inclusive -- are better partners. I have no idea why she sent those. It’s also worth noting that while the crowds here are light compared to many of the other waterfalls in the Finger Lakes, the visitors here often congregate near the base of the falls, making photos difficult, especially on crowded weekends. Prosecutor Carrie Rasmussen: Was this immediately investigated as a murder? She goes, "I have dreams all the time." …I have nobody. ", Stephen Nichols: I was tellin' my daughter … "This is our new life. Did she tumble forward? Julia Simmons: You've destroyed my whole family. In sight, judge John Wolf: and if your lucky you might just the. Shequaga Falls, NY 14865 he planned the whole thing, it is something that obviously is titillating interesting. 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