Rhonda Casto, Stephen Nichols: Death Fall From Slippery Cliff Subject Of CBS ’48 Hours’ This Saturday

Rhonda Casto, the single mother who died after falling from a cliff while hiking, is the newest topic of CBS’ 48 Hours. Saturday night’s episode, entitled “Trail Of Tears,” will retrace Rhonda Casto’s steps as she went hiking with her boyfriend, Stephen Nichols, on the rocky trails at a popular Oregon destination seven years ago. You’ll hear from law enforcement officials who investigated the case, as well as from Rhonda Casto’s best friend Jessica. 48 Hours will also give Stephen Nichols a chance to tell his side of what transpired during those crucial hours.

Rhonda Casto was a beautiful young woman from Portland, Oregon. Many people remember her as a loving mom who was totally devoted to her baby girl. She had the baby with her older boyfriend, Stephen Nichols, whom she met in 2005. Before she died, she seemed excited about going on a hiking trip with Stephen. The couple had been having some problems, stemming from Stephen’s lack of commitment in the relationship. Casto wanted to be married to the father of her child, and it seemed that Stephen was always dragging his feet. So that day in March 2009, when Stephen Nichols showed an interest in taking her hiking, she was convinced that he was either going to propose to her or kill her, CBS 48 Hours will reveal.

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The call came in to 911 at around 6 p.m., when a man identified as Stephen Nichols stated that his girlfriend had slipped and fallen off of the cliff at Eagle Creek Trail. When first responders arrived at the location about an hour later, they found the body of a young white female with injuries consistent with a fall. The death was initially ruled as an accident. There were very few articles back in 2009 that even reported about the fall. By all accounts, it appeared that the police did not suspect foul play. But, that would change in 2015 after Nichols was arrested at an airport in San Francisco, California, and charged with her death, according to Oregon Live.

Stephen Nichols has stated that it was all a tragic accident and that he had planned to marry Rhonda Casto by the end of summer. Her loyal friends are all still in shock about her untimely death, stating that visiting the location where she died is scary but also gives them a sense of peace. Rhonda Casto fell about 150 feet to her death that day, according to CBS News. The trail was treacherous and slippery due to the rain, snow, and hail that had blanketed the area in the days before her fall. In fact, there have been several hikers who have fallen to their deaths off of the narrow cliffs. It is definitely not a place for amateurs, or even experts, after a heavy rain.

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In the months before she died, Rhonda had planned to make several changes in her life: she wanted to lose weight, get more serious about her modeling career, and planned to devote even more time to her daughter.

Eagle Creek Trail is located in the city of Cascade Locks in the Mt. Hood/Columbia Gorge region. A popular trail with impressive waterfalls all around, Eagle Creek attracts many tourists all year. Here is how some describe hiking there, according to TripAdvisor.

“This trail may not be good for those with fear of heights since much of it is cliffside, narrow, and sometimes slippery, and the rocky nature of it requires a fairly stiff-soled hiking boot.

“Fall is definitely the time to hike the Eagle Creek Trail. Last Sunday, we hiked just past Tunnel Falls which is 6 miles of gradual uphill across several bridges and along spectacular views of deep gorges and waterfalls.”

Please watch CBS 48 Hours this Saturday, March 5 at 10/9 p.m. central. After the show, let us know if you think that Rhonda’s death was an accidental fall or if Stephen Nichols was the last person Rhonda saw as she was pushed off the cliff.

[Image via CBS 48 Hours/Facebook]