and the trail w been raining atn nichols and rhonda casto headed back down this path, the weather hader struck qh the trail. >> a man hiking with rhonda casto said she fell off a cliff last night. >> it was a tragic accident. >> reporter: but rhonda's best coiend recalls an ominous >> i knew there wasepor rhonda's nichols had pushed her daughter off that trail. >> i kept calling him and asking why nothing was ppeng. >> reporter: nichols moved on with his life, moving all the way to china for wors daughter.y chinese fiancee. >> reporter: five long years passed until a grand jury was called to review all of the circumstantial evidence. their decision? an indictment. nichols had no idea when he stepped off a plane in february 2015 he would be arrested and char w rhondago d the prosecutor writes him back and says it's time to put thisefsp rhonda was seterkippinlet me ju last week's show was the highest rated of the season for "48 we are very happy. >> you canch lose the presidency. >> you seem to be saying hillary clinton will beat donald trump. >> i'm not seem to be saying that. i am say

. >> reporter: from the first moment stephen nichols met rhonda casto, he knew he met the girl of hishonda. i was beyond smitten with her. when our daughter was born, it meant everything to her. became the focus and the center of her life. >> she's just like her mama. she loves jewelry. >> reporter: when their daughter was 9 months old, rhonda decided to return to her other passion, modeling, and she needed to lose some weight. >> she comes up with the idea, let's hike the 25 most famous trails in oregon. so that was our goal. >> reporter: as rhonda and stephen made their way up this eagle creek trail, they had some challenges. it was about 40 degrees and the weather was spotty. there were showers from time to time. and the trail was damp. >> had it been raining at the beginning, i wouldn't have gone up. >> reporter: by the time stephen nichols and rhonda casto headed back down this path, the weather had turned. suddenly, disaster struck when nichols says rhonda slipped off the trail. >> a man hiking with rhonda casto said she fell off a cliff last night. >> it was a tragic accident.

>> it turns out that a best-selling true crime author, five years after the rhonda casto's death, i'm writing a book about the case, and it seems that the family deals there is no justice. they get an indictment with a grand jury five years after the crime. the defense attorney says my guy is innocent and has no business sitting in jail. err can't wait to watch a report, peter, thank you very much for joining us from new york.>>> don't miss 48 hours, trail of tears tomorrow night at 10 pm followed by cbs4 news at 11. john gerard all week long, i've been looking forward to the weekend. we have had great weather.>>> we have a and el nio weather pattern. >>> i'm going to talk about el nio before it completely goes away. it's been suspiciously quiet lately. that's the good news here's the 83 at 2:00 with a warm, breezy, sunny afternoon. we will top out at around 84 before the day is over. 79 for your early dinner plans at 6 pm. still warm, looking at a nice sunset. by 10:00, weak cold front will get through here and will drop us to 72. the front will not have much of an impact initially.

. >> reporter: from the first moment stephen nichols met rhonda casto he knew he mets dreams. >> when i met rhonda, it was nothing can compare to rhonda. i was beyond smitten with her. of her life. >> shea is just like her loves jewelry. >> reporter: when their daughter was nine months old, rhonda decided to return to her other passion, modeling and shesome weight. >> she comes up with the idea, let's hike the 25 most famous trails in oregon. so that was our goal. >> reporter: as rhonda andheir way up this eagle creek trail, they had some challenges. it was about 40 degrees and the weather was spotty. thereme to time. and the trail was damp. >> had it been raining at the beginning, i wouldn't have gone up. >> reporter: by the time stephenols and ron honda casto headed back down this path, the weather had turned.uck qh nichols says ron la slipped off the trail. >> a man hiking with rhonda last s a tragic accident. >> reporter: but rhonda's best friend recalls an ominous conversation about that hike. >> i knew there was a hike eporter: what did satisfy say to you? >> she said he is eith

he stepped off a plane in february of 2015 he would be arrested and charged with the murder of rhonda casto. >> peter van sant is with us this morning. what led to the arrest all of those years later? >> evidence wise, nothing. but in early 2014, a best-selling true crime author steven jackson sent an e-mail to the prosecutor saying i'm going to write a book about this case and justice doesn't seem to have been served. the next day the prosecutor writes him back and says it is time to put it before the people and a grand jury is called. >> is there any evidence that he pushed her? >> no, there's no physical evidence or eyewitnesses that day. i have been at that very spot. it was rainy, slippery and according to stephen nichols, rhonda was skipping down the path when she slipped and fell. in that area they lose about four people a year to falls. last week's show the highest rated of the season for "48 hours." >> yes, terrific. very happy. >> well done. >> thank you. you can watch peter's full report "trail of tears" tomorrow night at 9:00, 8le:00 central here on cbs. >>> next, the best time