On March 16, 2009, 23-year-old Rhonda Casto set out on a hike with her boyfriend, Steve Nichols after dropping their 9-month-old daughter, Ava, off with her mother, Julia Simmons. That was the last time Simmons would see her daughter, who died that day after falling off a cliff and landing at the bottom of a ravine.
Nichols told People that Casto was running along a narrow trail when she fell. He said he tried to help her, climbing down the ravine to get to her body but collapsed from exhaustion and hypothermia once he got there. He fell asleep, heading back to the car and calling 911 when he woke up. He also claims prescription drugs contributed to Casto’s death, alleging that he later discovered she was using marijuana and taking medication to lose weight and for depression.
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In February 2015, Nichols was arrested and charged with Casto’s murder, with authorities accusing him of pushing her off a cliff to collect a $1 million life insurance policy. Investigators also pointed to an alleged inappropriate relationship with Casto’s underage sister and a 2003 incident in which Nichols was accused of attempting to push his then-wife off a balcony. Nichols has denied the claims.
In May, the murder charge was dropped and Nichols pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and coercion, receiving received three years’ of probation with credit for 19 months of jail time.
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Casto’s family doesn’t believe her death was accidental, as Nichols claimed, pointing to alleged problems in their relationship. Simmons, who pleaded guilty in July to embezzling Social Security survivor benefits intended for her granddaughter, says her daughter was thinking of leaving Nichols in the months before her death. Nichols, now 42, denied any relationship issues.
Simmons shared her belief that Casto is watching over her and Ava.
“She is in a good place and not hurting or unhappy,” she said. “I want to one day see her again. I look forward to that day.”
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