Wife of Accused Midwest Killer Speaks Out

This is a rush transcript from "On the Record ," July 1, 2008. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: This is a "FOX News Alert." Nicholas Sheley has been arrested. Sheley is suspected of murdering eight people in two states. Chase Castle, reporter for Sauk Valley Newspapers, spoke to Sheley's wife. Chase joins us live from Illinois. Chase, tell me what his wife said and when you spoke to her.

CHASE CASTLE, SAUK VALLEY NEWSPAPERS: I spoke to Mrs. [Holly] Sheley last week, and she expressed a number of things at the time I was talking to her. I think, most importantly, she was obviously concerned for the welfare of her husband and that of the two kids that they have together.

VAN SUSTEREN: Did she say why he was on the run and whether she suspected, indeed, he is the killer?

Watch Greta's interview

CASTLE: She wasn't really too willing to make any kind of hypothesis as to whether or not she thought he was responsible for the killings, and she had said that she hadn't spoken with him very much herself in terms of why he was actually on the run. As I said, I think more than anything, she was just coming to us for not even so much of an emotional appeal as to express just to everybody how concerned she was for her family, and more than anything else, how she simply wanted to see Nicholas alive the next time she saw him at all.

VAN SUSTEREN: And I suppose we should explain that this is a rather unique interview with the wife. She came to you?

CASTLE: It's something you don't encounter too often. Typically, in most journalism settings. But Mrs. Sheley actually did contact the newspaper and was very eager to speak to us in terms of, I think, just expressing not even so much Nicholas's side of the story as much as the fact that there'd just been a lot of things that were on her mind with the family setting and just wanted to make clear that she was particularly concerned, as I said, for everybody that lives in her family.

VAN SUSTEREN: Did she say what she thinks he is like?

CASTLE: She had, you know, expressed some of the relationship. And I think, honestly, Greta, the thing that struck me most about my conversation with her was the fact that she didn't make any kind of effort to be insincere. I thought everything she said was really genuine. And more than anything, she wasn't trying to picture -- you know, paint something about some perfect husband that he was, or some ideal perfect father. She acknowledged the fact they'd had some complications in their marriage and that alcohol and drug abuse had been all too big of a part of it for some time, but nonetheless, was still really concerned and I think just had a pretty honest approach to the whole situation.

VAN SUSTEREN: When you say drug, is he currently doing drugs, addicted to drugs? And if so, what kind?

CASTLE: The exact drugs that were used -- I mean, Nicholas Sheley does have a record of crack cocaine use and some other softer drugs. There may be other drugs that are involved beyond that, but at this point, that's kind of hearsay.

VAN SUSTEREN: Chase, thank you.

CASTLE: Thank you.

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