Huante left the room and spoke with a detective who had spoken with Nellis earlier. The other detective said Nellis had told her a different story.
Nellis then said he had lied to the first detective.
Fred Harper
AP/Wide World Photos
Yavapai County Sheriff Steve Waugh presents a "Certificate of Appreciation" to Julie Bradshaw, left, and two others at the Mingus Springs school for helping unravel the Rodreick case.
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At that point, the detectives told Nellis he was under arrest for failing to register as a sex offender.
That news seemed to break Nellis' will to keep up the lie.
Huante told Nellis he was sick of the games. "You must think I'm stupid if you expect me to believe your story."
Huante said this moments after Casey had walked out to talk to Boan about feeling uncomfortable in the trailer.
Nellis broke: "Okay, if you want the truth, here it is:
"That young man that just walked out the door ain't 12 years old. He's 29. He was born November 22, 1977. His name is Neil Haven Rodreick."
Nellis explained that he knew all this because the two were in prison together at the Jess Dunn Correctional Center in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
Rodreick was his best friend, like a brother to him, he said.
And when Nellis came to visit his best buddy in El Mirage, Arizona, he was told by Rodreick that he had changed his name and his date of birth.
And Nellis was told he was no longer just a friend. He was now Casey Price's cousin and guardian.
Diskin marched outside to the unmarked CPS car and told Casey, really Neil Rodreick, to get out of the back seat. He had a few questions.
Diskin wrote in his report that Rodreick acted like "a scared child."
Rodreick was wearing glasses and a baseball cap pulled down low over his eyes. It was now past 9 p.m. and dark outside the trailer.
"You look like Neil," Diskin said.
Rodreick seemed surprised by the comment, Diskin wrote. Still, he said nothing and continued to look at the ground.
We know who you are, Diskin said. We're going to get your photo from the Department of Corrections in Oklahoma.
Diskin read Rodreick his Miranda rights. He asked Rodreick if he understood. Rodreick mumbled incoherently.
Diskin asked several times. Rodreick finally nodded his head.
Diskin said he knew that Rodreick had forged all of the custody papers. He told Neil that he needed to admit who he was now. If he allowed CPS caseworkers to take him, he would face additional charges, Diskin told him.
Diskin then shined his flashlight on Rodreick's face. He realized in the light that Rodreick was wearing a heavy coat of makeup to cover his true age. On closer inspection, Diskin saw stubble beneath the makeup.
"Twelve-year-olds don't usually have a mustache," he said.
Rodreick remained silent.
It's time to come clean, Diskin said. He asked Rodreick why he was attending school.
"I wanted to go to school," Rodreick said quietly.
Are you Neil?
Rodreick mumbled, "No."
Who are you?
"I'm Casey."
Rodreick's answers began to agitate Detective Diskin.
"Stop the act!" Diskin said. Diskin and Huante peppered Rodreick with questions. Diskin asked Rodreick what he'd been convicted of.
Finally, the façade began to fall.
"Indecent proposal," he answered, after a long pause.
Rodreick began to cry. Through tears, he began answering the officers' questions.
He was 29 years old. He was Neil Havens Rodreick II.
Diskin and Huante told Rodreick they knew he was having sex with Snow and Stiffler.
Rodreick described it differently, saying he just "played around" with them.
By that point, Diskin and Huante weren't surprised by what they heard next. They were already beginning to suspect that Rodreick and Nellis, the former cellmates, were confidants in some sort of scam of which Stiffler and Snow were not aware.
Rodreick said that both Stiffler and Snow still believed he was actually 12-year-old Casey Price.
As Rodreick told his story, caseworkers from Child Protective Services arrived at the trailer. Diskin approached their vehicle and explained their services would no longer be needed.
Detective Diskin walked back inside the trailer to deliver the news to Stiffler. Apparently, Nellis, who was sitting with Stiffler, had just told him that 12-year-old Casey was actually 29-year-old Neil Rodreick.
Diskin said Stiffler appeared to be "very agitated."
"I just found out information I didn't know about," Stiffler told the detective.
Diskin asked Nellis whose idea it was for Casey to go to school.
"I believe it was Casey's," Nellis said, still using the fictitious name.
Stiffler interrupted.
"It was my idea for Casey to get back in school," Stiffler said. "It was not ordered by me, it was ordered by the U.S. Marshal."
"You still believe there is a U.S. Marshal?" Diskin asked with disdain. "Are you kidding me?"
"Sir, I'm just telling you what I was told," the old man said.
"Stiffler," Diskin wrote in his report, "did not appear to fully understand that he had been scammed."
Stiffler started yelling.
"I just found out he was 29! I didn't know his correct age!"
The implications of Stiffler's rage finally registered with Diskin.
Diskin asked Stiffler if he would normally look for a 29-year-old boyfriend.
"No, not really," Stiffler said.
Diskin asserted that Stiffler wouldn't have had sex with Rodreick if he had known Rodreick's true age.
