Page 5 - Inside Nick News Today

Site. the body had been under water and had resurfaced. >> my whole world changed. i no longer had a son. >> he was the best friend i ever had. he was the best friend to anybody that he ever met. he was very easy going, very happy-go-lucky. just kind of a cool kind of kid. >> since there was no motor oil on nicks body, and oil was throughout the passenger compartment of his car, this was further proof that he wasnt inside when it crashed. at the autopsy, the pathologist found evidence that nick ...

While in the water. at first, accident investigators thought nick might have fallen asleep at the wheel. but when a car goes off the road, the driver is usually jolted awake which will leave telltale signs. >> had the driver fallen asleep at the wheel, i would have expected an ever increasing vigorous correction effort on the part of the driver. in other words, the driver would have predictably steered harder and braked more that would have resulted in a well-defined path of travel down the rock...

Strangulation. there were bruises on the face. there was also blunt force injury inside the body. >> and there was water in nicks lungs, an indication that he was still breathing when he was thrown in the water. >> the cause of death was essentially lack of oxygen. he may well have gone into the water unconscious. ultimately, though, it was drowning that caused the end. >> the manner of nicks death was ruled a homicide. investigators were now looking for a killer.

>> they put an identical pair of glasses on the model to simulate the force of impact. it was attached to a pendulum. >> based on a potential energy formula, mass times gravity times height, i lifted the head that given height, allowed it to swing down and it collided with the steering wheel. >> this was a virtual re-creation of what would happen if nicks head had hit the steering wheel when the car crashed into the river at 15 miles per hour. there was far less damage to the test glasses than t...

Paperwork for nick howard spread out over the desk. as if he was working on the life insurance. >> it was clear the change of beneficiary forms were in nick howards handwriting and were not forgeries. it appeared that nick and ralph marcus planned to defraud the insurance company. >> they had hatched a plan to fake nicks death, collect the insurance proceeds, and take the money down to south america or some location to live off of it. >> but this was all speculation. investigators had no proof o...

On the night of the murder, prosecutors believe marcus and nick met on the dock to plan the car crash. either nick tried to back out or marcus had planned to kill him all along. at some point, marcus strangled him until he was unconscious, then threw him into the river where he drowned. he kept nicks glasses, bent them in half, and threw them on the floor of nicks car to make it appear nick was in the car when it crashed. marcus opened the windows, used the cap from his motor oil bottle, placed ...

Nicholas howard to prevent any other witnesses, prevent having to share the insurance proceeds, and because he had a long vendetta against the mother as a scorned lover. >> i dont know if nick planned a scam with ralph. it makes absolutely no sense to me, because you cant get insurance money if youre alive. and because i know how nick loved me and loved our family. >> nick had told people, im going to be a millionaire before im 30. nick had also made the comment within the week before his disapp...

Holding the throttle open, which was remarkable by its uniqueness. never seen it before or have never seen it since. >> the cap was marked with a "v". it was the top to the valvoline motor oil bottle in the trunk. >> the bottle cap was a big indicator right off the bat, the car had been rigged. something wasnt right. >> the bottle cap would be put in there in lieu of a person to hold the gas pedal in position so the vehicle could be operated without a driver. >> to see what effect the bottle cap...

Crashed into the river at 15 miles per hour. there was far less damage to the test glasses than the ones found in the car. >> my conclusion was nicks head did not collide with the steering wheel in the car. >> this proved the glasses had been planted. and if nick hadnt been in the car during the crash, then there was still the possibility he was alive. >> we were a little emotional. well, very emotional but, you know, kind of on pins and needles. >> of course you pray for the best. but i think t...

Could turn it into 4 million. youd never have to work again. >> and ralph marcus was no stranger to insurance fraud. >> it was said that ralph marcus decided pretty early on in his life that only fools worked for a living and rather than get a job, he supported himself gambling and insurance scams. supposedly, he had burned down his own house to receive the insurance proceeds. and then another time had arranged for the theft of a car and a boat to make money off that as well. >> with no forensic...