for centuries." ♪ this levian collection is amazing. maybe it's time to start your own. [ female announcer ] kay jewelers presents today's levian collection... [ gasps ] [ female announcer ] ...featuring exclusive levian chocolate diamonds. from the levian family -- where the latest in fashion meets fine jewelry. one more reason kay is the number-one jewelry store in america. it's... a work of art? ♪ every kiss begins with kay

your father says, i have a plan to rob a bank. shouldn't your first reaction be, are you crazy? >> i asked my dad, you know, are you the devil here to testimony me? he said, yeah, probably. >> tonight on 20/20, the unbelievable story of a father, who turned his own kids into hard core criminals. the surveillance video, the terrified bank tellers, mugshots replacing family photos, and now they are talking only with 20/20. >> he was the muscle with the gun. and i was the money guy. >> 18-year-old daughter in the getaway car. >> it was my family. the loyalty was greater. >> the father's guilty plea, just delivered in court. and for the first time, the confession tapes, that would shock even the police. >> i'll lay it all out. >> the jailhouse confrontation, telling his kids to lie to

20/20. >> you clearly told your kids to manipulate us. just like you were manipulating them. >> plus the moment no one saw coming, the brother and sister reunion. >> i don't want you to go. >> you won't believe what our mic picked up, the father with the question you'll all want answered. >> do you think you're a dad or a devil to these kids? >> tonight, they are keeping it all in the family. >> i said, son, if i didn't know better, i'd say that was you. >> here now, david muir. >> tonight a father, a son and a daughter who will not be home for the holidays, in fact as we come on here, they are locked up after dad asked his own children to do the unthinkable, asking if they would rob banks with him. you're about to see the terror they inflicted, the surveillance, disguises, guns, even the getaway car, tonight, the son and daughter speaking out for the first time, 20/20, one on one with the father, as matt gutman looks him in the eye and asks, how could you turn

your children into criminals? >> reporter: it's an all-in-the-family crime spree. that's dad in a mask and son in a fake moustache. it was as a family affair all right -- a father on an outing with his two kids. but they weren't out for fast food, they were hungry for a fast buck. these three, the catt family, didn't look like the typical jailbirds in the fbi's most wanted list. nope, they looked like they belonged in your church group, the balding dad, his pimpled son, and the pretty blonde sister --still a high school senior! but apparently, the family that stayed together, robbed together. have you ever seen anything like this? >> in my 20-plus years in law enforcement, i haven't. a family, a bank robber. >> reporter: if news of daddy's misdeeds bewildered local cops and journalists, it blew away their own family members. >> horrible, horrible, how can i wrap my brain around this? >> the fact is, they pointed guns at people. that's terrifying to me. my little nephew, who -- has the

sweetest heart has been turned into that. it's just -- it's sad. so sad. >> reporter: how could this have happened? we spent 13 months piecing together this story. talking to every major character. it begins where it ends -- with dad, scott catt. we met the father of this felonious family, here. matt gutman nice to meet you. >> nice to meet you. >> reporter: behind two inches of glass at the fort bend county jail in texas -- >> it just -- it -- it's just shocking to me because i've never been in trouble before. >> reporter: that would be the first of many lies scott would tell us, back then we couldn't have known this tale would have more twists than a knotted rope, especially given how catt started life -- with a homemaker mom and dad who worked at the local bank. good student? >> he was a football star. >> reporter: everyone, especially his mom, remembers him being so likeable. >> scott -- he was so much fun, great sense of humor, always wanted to make us laugh.

>> reporter: scott catt fell in love and married his high school sweetheart beth, a champion swimmer. she called him her handsome cowboy. what was beth like? >> beth -- oh, very, very loving, good mommy, terrific mother. >> reporter: seemed like they had it all. >> they really did. >> reporter: he became a structural engineer. and the all-american family settled into a four bedroom house with a front porch tucked into oregon's wine country. >> they both had great jobs. they both had great cars. they had the two kids. they had the dog. they did everything that -- you work so hard to do. >> reporter: money, family, love. scott and beth had everything until --beth was diagnosed with breast cancer when abby was just a baby. >> the only memory i have of my mom -- she was on a bright orange stretcher being carried down the stairs, and i remember her face. >> reporter: so your first memory of your mother, your only memory, is one of her being carried away on a stretcher? >> yeah, that's, that's all. but i, i hold onto it maybe as a good thing.

>> reporter: because it would be the only thing she had. beth catt would die at the age of 32, leaving behind four-year-old hayden and 2-year-old abby. suddenly, scott catt was a widower, a single dad with toddlers. how did you deal with it personally? >> i didn't deal with it. >> reporter: you were in denial? >> completely. i was in denial about -- not needin' help. about grieving. about depression. about my ability to raise them by myself. i started drinkin' heavily. >> reporter: what does heavily mean? >> well, a fifth a day. a fifth of vodka or jack daniels a day. >> reporter: that's a lot of booze. >> that is a lot of booze. >> reporter: while dad was drowning his sorrows, the kids were thriving in the pool. the star swimmers were also decent students and when he was sober their dad was the proud president of the swim club. and the kids idolized him. >> he was my best friend for a

long time. he was a whole lot of fun. loved water parks and disneyland almost as much as the kids. >> we'd all be on the ride together, and, uh, it's just funny, we're all screaming and yelling. and he went on all the rides with us. and that, that's cool. >> reporter: so cool that he was really more a friend than a parent. >> there wasn't really a disciplinarian. there was no one there hounding us to do homework, or keep up our grades. >> i mean, i knew it wasn't normal, but to me it was my normal. >> reporter: abby and hayden, by this time young teenagers, soon realized dad was fun, but they could only rely on each other. >> we were very close. my sister's the only consistent thing i've had my whole life, and i'm, i'm the only consistent thing that she's had, too. >> my brother's my best friend. he was basically the only one that was there for me. >> i can just look at her and know what's on her mind, what she's worried about. >> reporter: what scott's kids worried most about their dad's drinking. >> i lied to 'em about it.

i told 'em i was gonna quit. and i didn't, but i did do quite a bit behind their back. >> reporter: and some of it in plane sight. there were arrests, there was brawling, disorderly conduct and a new more expensive vice --cocaine, he says. >> i'd say probably three, four grams a week. >> reporter: and the kids often found themselves assuming the roles of parents. >> there was times when on my lunch break i, and in school, that i was going to pay the light bill. i picked up his clothes from the dry cleaner's. >> reporter: scott partied away their savings. they went bankrupt, they lost their home, the lights went out. for a fresh start and scott says, a new job, catt traded the oregon greenery for this scenery --an apartment in a houston suburb with a whole lot of banks nearby. >> money was tight, and i was really depressed. and, you know, i had complained to him saying, if we didn't have to worry about money, there wouldn't be any of this stress, or any of these negative things

happening in our life. >> reporter: now at this point, most parents would urge their kids to earn money the old fashioned way --with a job. scott catt offered a job all right. a bank job, and a career of crime. >> that's when he approached me and said, "would you be willing to do something to get some money, more illegal than selling drugs?" and i said yes. >> reporter: so you're 18 years old. you need money. your father says, "i have a plan to rob a bank." shouldn't your first reaction be, "are you crazy?" >> looking back on it, i can't believe that wasn't my first reaction. um, to say, "are you, are you insane?" >> reporter: why did you go along with it so easily? >> i had a real struggle, i knew it was wrong, but i was really motivated by the money. the night before the first bank i was supposed to rob with him, um, i had kind of a panic attack all night. um, you know, deciding, do i want to go down this path of evil, or, is this not for me ultimately. >> reporter: hayden catt would agree to walk down that path of

evil. >> he really wanted my help, in his mind, two people could be much more successful at it. >> reporter: but maybe a third would even be better and there was just one more catt left to choose. scott told hayden to talk his sister into joining their gang. she was a high school senior, just three months shy of graduating. >> my dad sent my brother to ask me. >> reporter: your dad sent your brother to ask you? >> yeah. >> reporter: to rob banks with them? >> yeah, and then the next day my dad just basically laid it all out and, you know, i'll buy you a new car and i'll get you an apartment and -- >> reporter: could you have asked, "well, why don't you just give me the money? why do i have to be a bank robber with you?" >> no, i never asked. i mean, it was just, in some way, i was led on, like, this is how i protect them, you know. and these are the only people i have. >> reporter: now son and daughter say this is when they crossed over to the criminal

side. a plan was in motion. the mark -- the comerica bank just down the block. >> the morning of, the first bank, i asked my dad, you know, "are you the devil here to tempt me?" and his answer was what really scared me. he said, "yeah, probably. i'm asking you to rob a bank." >> reporter: so he knew full well the world he was bringing you into. >> yeah. the biggest point he made to me was the plan for all the details. >> reporter: the details would be what you've seen in movies. the fake mustaches, fake guns in the hopes of getting real cash, but what the kids were really banking on was beginner's luck. >> i was actually shaking so bad, that the employees grabbed the bag and started throwing money in for me. >> reporter: the family robberies, what could possibly go wrong? when we come back.

actually save withebody family mobile? walmart's lowest priced unlimited plan? it's only $39.88 for unlimited talk, text and web. that's unbelievable savings. crunch those numbers. i could definitely come up with a figure. person aged 30-40...living in the northern hemisphere? if only had my calculator. think you need a calculator? i'm just kidding. i know the number. own the season with the latest smartphone rollbacks. like the samsung galaxy exhibit for $99.88 and the concord for $49.88. walmart.

check it out... what do you think, huh? subtle. brew the love. keurig. [ female announcer ] we eased your back pain... ♪ ready or not. [ female announcer ] ...so you can be up there. here i come! [ female announcer ] ...down there, around there... and under there for him. tylenol® provides strong pain relief and won't irritate your stomach the way aleve® or even advil® can. but for everything we do, we know you do so much more. tylenol®.

you know that, right? uh-huh. i know this hasn't always been easy for you. and i'm really happy that you're in my life too. ♪ it's just like yours, mom! [ jane ] behind every open heart is a story. tell yours with my open hearts collection at kay jewelers, the number one jewelry store in america. there are millions of reasons to give one, but the message is always the same. keep your heart open... and love will always find its way in. thank you. thank you. ♪ every kiss begins with kay

>> reporter: 93 degree texas heat. the catt family wasn't headed to a water park, but to a stick up at a small bank in a strip mall. the man with the gun was scott catt and along for his first heist, his apprentice -- his 20-year-old son, hayden. their disguises? painters masks and white overalls. outside waiting in the getaway car and communicating with the men on walkie- talkie -- 18-year-old daughter, abby. >> once we walked into the bank, then it was on. i was running on so much adrenaline and so, so amped, that i wasn't even really feeling anything. >> two individuals walked into the bank and -- and they ordered the tellers and everyone into the vault. >> reporter: did they say anything? >> put your hands up and get into the vault. >> he was the muscle with the gun, and i was the money guy. >> reporter: both men are big, over 6'3." their sheer size and the gun enough to terrify customers.

but it's the novice bank robber who's quaking in his boots. >> i was actually shaking so bad, that the employees grabbed the bag and started throwing money in for me. >> reporter: in hayden's hands, more money than he'd ever dreamed of. how much does $50,000 dollars weigh? >> i'd say about 15 pounds. >> reporter: with their garbage bag full of cash, they sprint out of the bank to the getaway car which has been outfitted with stolen plates. the wheelman, a frightened teenager. >> i was scared. it was just something you just, like, want, want it to be over with. >> reporter: and what was it like driving the getaway car? >> you know, it's hard, because you want to obey traffic laws, but your adrenaline is pumping. >> it was hard, but i had them in my ear. my dad would yell at me and stuff to not drive fast, so i didn't. >> reporter: despite the heckling from her backseat driver dad, the reluctant 18-year-old gets them to their apartment, a half mile away, undetected. the heist had gone off without a hitch -- just like dad had promised. was there a "woo-hoo" moment?

>> not until we got home. >> reporter: with their sackful of 50 grand, the spending began. cars, motorcycles, booze and drugs. abby's spending -- much more sensible. >> reporter: how did you guys celebrate? >> i didn't. went off on my own and, and just, got my nails done. >> reporter: in fact, the money came so easy and went so fast. within two months they had burned through all their loot. time for another bank job. the first community credit union --just a few miles from the scene of their first crime. before the hit, abby cases the bank. that's her smiling and grabbing brochures from a bank employee. 11 days later, it's the same drill, new disguises. ditching the painters' overalls for saftey vests to blend in with nearby construction. >> they walked into the bank, with orange construction vests on. >> reporter: did you carry a gun in there? >> uh, no. we, we used a little -- a bb gun. >> reporter: but it looked real. >> yeah. i remember a few people's faces, still.

>> reporter: what was their reaction? >> um, just, total shock. there's -- >> reporter: -- terror? >> yeah, they were scared, terrified. definitely. >> you start walkin' into a bank with a weapon and you start pointing that at people and ordering them to, you know, cough up the money, i mean, that -- that -- that can change your life forever. >> reporter: their take after 2 bank robberies -- over $100,000. but the loot isn't exactly divided up evenly according to the kids. what percentage were they willing to give you? >> 10%. >> reporter: did you feel like 10% was enough? >> oh yeah beacause i'd never even had that much money, so -- >> reporter: for your whole life. >> right. >> reporter: $10,000 essentially. >> it was enough for me. >> reporter: enough to buy a very practical used ford focus and more of those manicures. i guess by now you're aware that in texas, whether you're the driver or the guy holding the gun, holding up a teller -- >> yep. >> reporter: it's the same crime. but you didn't know that then. >> no, i, i didn't know that then. i know the part that i played was wrong. but it was my family, and that, the loyalty was greater at that

point, but her father and brother seemed more loyal to the cold hard cash that was coming in. and to blowing it fast -- >> shopping, cars, partying. really nothing to show for it. >> reporter: when the comforts of daily life involve jack daniels, a new chevy tahoe, a harley and a swanky houston apartment even 100 gs can disappear pretty fast. and for the catt family that meant one thing. time to go back to work. had you planned another heist before you got busted? >> uh, yeah the morning they picked us up, i think we were going to do one or two more. >> reporter: that day? >> yeah. >> reporter: that's right. the catts had gotten cocky --planning a pair of heists the day before their arrest. >> it got to the point where i thought my father knew what he was doing so well that, there's a risk involved, but the risk was so minimal. >> reporter: but that would prove to be wishful thinking because as we all know, where there are robbers, there are also cops. and the cops were already onto them. on the surveillance video from the latest heist, they picked up a detail that would impress even sherlock holmes.

>> the vests looked new. they actually had their creases in them. >> reporter: because they were creased, you figured they were new, and because they were new, they must've been purchased somewhere nearby. >> we were able to tie those two vests back to a local home depot. and then those vests were purchased with a mastercard debit card, that went back to scott. >> reporter: with that mastercard scott catt might as well have left his calling card. and there his kids are using it in home depot to buy the gear they were about to use in a bank heist. it was just the break detectives needed. and the catts were in the bag >> when scott was arrested -- the -- the detective that actually made contact with him told him, "well, you're under arrest for armed robbery." and -- scott's initial response to that was, "which one?" >> reporter: they quickly arrested hayden as well, who was up in the apartment. there they found the kind of evidence gumshoes dream of. >> in the apartment -- we found some bank straps, and a bank

strap is a little paper strap that wraps around -- a certain quantity of money. usually it's $1,000 denominations, and it identifies whatever bank it is that it comes from. >> reporter: and some of those straps were from a bank in an entirely different state! suddenly they realize catt is no rookie, but a bank bandit with a resume. they now had more than enough evidence to haul both catts in for questioning, and authorities were zeroing in on abby, too. >> from my interviews with the employees at the comerica bank, we knew that at least scott was carrying a walkie-talkie. >> reporter: and that those employees at the comerica bank heard a female voice on that walkie-talkie talking to them. >> reporter: police had a pretty good idea who that voice belonged to, and the getaway girl, abby was arrested that day. >> abby called. and she was yelling at me. "i'm in jail and i need $10,000 to get me out of here. get me out of here right now." and i said, "you have to get

that money from your father." she says "he's the reason i'm in jail." >> we're on twitter throughout the hour we want to know no matter how desperate could you as a parent ask your children what he asked them to do. tweet me. just when you thought you saw it all tonight next here the confession tapes, a father, a son, the daughter, three separate interrogation rooms, each with something that would shock even the police. >> announcer: next, a how to guide for planning a stick em up, the family confession tain just released. sharing detail how they planned the robberies. and coming up later, a first for a texas jail. brother and sister, the hug that broke all the rules. when 20/20 returns. ♪ ♪

♪ i wanna spread a little love this year ♪ [ male announcer ] this december, remember: provocative design and exacting precision come together in one powerful package at the lexus december to remember sales event, with some of the best offers of the year on our most thrilling models. see your lexus dealer for exclusive lease offers on the 2013 ct 200h and, as a gift from lexus, we'll make your first month's payment. ♪ i picked it out in a snap ♪ what made it genius ♪ was my camouflage wrap ♪ that's my kind of holiday eat right, not less. [ woman ] hi, this looks interesting! would you like to try some hot cereal? [ women ] sure! [ female announcer ] introducing special k nourish hot cereal. special k? wow! wow! [ female announcer ] made with superfoods... i can definitely taste the quinoa. i can't believe that's less than 200 calories. [ female announcer ] ...to help you truly shine.

this is a way to be good to me. [ female announcer ] nurturing yourself. . in the diet & nutrition aisle. see who does good work and compare costs. it doesn't usually work that way with health care. but with unitedhealthcare, i get information on quality rated doctors, treatment options and estimates for how much i'll pay. that helps me, and my guys, make better decisions. i don't like guesses with my business, and definitely not with our health. innovations that work for you. that's health in numbers. unitedhealthcare.

♪ no presents beneath the tree? ♪

♪ wait a minute, now i see ♪ my gifts are above me ♪ that's my kind of holiday

>> announcer: once again matt gutman. >> reporter: police had nabbed scott catt for holding up two banks. he wasn't the only cat in the hot seat. just down the hall in another interrogation room was his 20-year-old son hayden. scott made it clear as he walked in he was ready to come clean. >> you know, i'll lay it all out from the very beginning till yesterday. it's the day of reckoning. i get it. >> reporter: investigators were expecting to hear about the two hiests in texas, but they were

about to learn that scott catt's secret life of crime dated back to the clinton administration. he didn't even ask for a lawyer before he started spilling the beans. >> first federal savings and loan. >> reporter: for this head-scratcher scott actually needed a whiteboard to lay out crimes that began in his home state of oregon, 2,300 miles away. it was like a seminar in bank robbing 101. so this was, this was number one? >> i just went into the tellers, they just grabbed money and threw it in this bag, and i left. so i'd say i got about like 2,500 bucks, roughly. >> we were able to insinuate to him that we knew all about what was going on in oregon when, in all honesty, that wasn't the case. we didn't know about the banks he had robbed in oregon really until the interview. >> reporter: in total, scott would confess to having robbed five banks in oregon before even setting foot in texas.

>> i'm surprised he was able to, you know, remain undetected, especially when one of the banks he robbed was in his hometown. you would think that -- someone would have known him. >> reporter: in fact, someone did. it was scott catt's own mother. >> i picked up our local newspaper. and on the front page was a picture of a man that robbed our local savings and loan. and that is where his father retired from. >> reporter: he worked at the bank? >> yes, and i looked and i saw this frame of this big man. and i said, "oh, son, if i didn't know better i'd say that was you." and he grabbed the paper from me, and he looked at that. i remember it so vividly. and he said, "yeah, it does kind of." >> reporter: but a mother knows what her son looks like. >> oh, i know. and his hands. i know his hands.

scott said, "well, he didn't get very much money." >> reporter: but her son was honing his skills, and you know what they say about practice. with each hit he was banking more and more money. >> that one i got close to 30,000 because by then i figured out that there were two cash drawers so i made sure that i got both cash drawers. i selected the bank based on accessibility and escape. how quick can i get in, how quick can i get out? and blend in with the rest of the world. >> he didn't just see a bank and decide to rob it the next day. he would plan for weeks at a time. >> reporter: how many of those did either hayden or abby know about? >> none. >> reporter: this was all just. >> not a one. i mean, you got to think back, they're still pretty young here. >> reporter: but growing up in oregon abby and hayden did know about the secrets scott kept by the fistful in his dresser drawer. >> he would keep an envelope full of hundred-dollar bills.

i never really thought it that strange that he would keep a couple thousand dollars in cash. >> there was a lot of money in there. and it freaked me out, really. i'd never seen something like that before. >> reporter: that extra cash came in handy when scott got laid off in oregon. he says it was a job opportunity that brought him to texas in early 2012. >> i had a nice chunk of money to come to houston. and i blew it partying. i don't know. i just blew it. >> reporter: the cash tasted so sweet catt craved more, soon blowing off that engineering job in houston to focus on his more lucrative gig. >> i hated the job. it was just a really bad job. i just -- i'll just rob banks. i'm probably better at that anyway. >> reporter: and in his new full-time job he knew more help could mean more money. >> this is where i started to, you know, talk the kids in. hayden wanted to come out here and i said, "well, look, you

know, there's a little business proposition i have for you." i talked him into it. >> reporter: a couple doors down the hall hayden would soon fill cops in on his version of that dirty deal. >> that's when he started, you know, going over all the details about how it's done and what he's done in the past, also what to look for in a bank, you know. >> like what? >> the getaway is everything. i told him, you know, "i don't think that i can drive after my first one." >> and that's when we talked abby into driving for us. >> we just needed someone who was able to drive slow and steady and abide all the traffic laws and, you know, not look like a bank robber at all. >> right. >> this cute blonde girl is the last thing you would ever -- >> right. >> -- you'd ever look for. >> reporter: but that's exactly who police were looking for, and after getting a call from her dad, abby drove herself into talk to investigators same room six hours later. >> well, i just felt like i need to do what i did to, you know, protect them. >> reporter: abby admitted driving the getaway car but said it was out of blind loyalty to

her brother and father, whose writing was still there on the wall. >> my mother died when i was 2. a lot of it has to do with, you know -- i have always trusted my dad. it's not okay, obviously. i'm not stupid. but when it's your dad, it's almost like it is. >> i convinced her of it. she trust me completely because she doesn't have anybody else to trust. >> reporter: but according to texas law, it was a little too late to take the blame now. david ryan is abby's lawyer. >> abigail catt was facing 5 to 99, or life in prison for aggravated robbery even though she didn't put a gun in anyone's face, because under texas law, just being involved in the crime itself was enough to make her as culpable as her father and her brother. >> reporter: by the end of his

2 1/2-hour confession it was clear scott catt wouldn't be winning dad of the year any time soon. >> so that's where we're at today. >> reporter: and after a decade of robbing banks what did he have to show for it, besides two kids on the fast track to becoming felons? >> about all i got in my wallet. maybe whatever hayden has in his wallet. that's about it. >> reporter: hayden had counted his. just 30 bucks. >> announcer: when we come back, how could he ask more from his kids? evidence 20/20 obtained. a letter asking them to take longer sentences, so he could serve less time. >> it's your handwriting, isn't it? >> it definitely is. >> you're even trying to manipulate them behind bars and us. >> announcer: coming up on 20/20. windows new and powerful intel processor so you can do it all like mixing pleasure and business. that sounds so rebellious. yeah, like mixing fire and ice.

like polka dots and plaid. hey hey, careful. i could pull it off. own the season. get the hottest windows tablets like the dell venue, with intel inside. get 6, 12, 18, or 24 months special financing with a walmart credit card. minimum purchase and certificate required. valid in-store only through 12/31/13. walmart.

>> reporter: the pretty house with the wraparound porch in oregon is now in the catt's rear view mirror. tonight they're in the big house, behind the bars of the fort bend county jail in texas. the family has been held in separate cell blocks. they haven't seen each other in over a year as they await their day in court. jailhouse life has taken its toll.

scott says there's not enough food and he's lost more than 70 pounds. almost unrecognizable to his own mother when we showed her footage from our interview. >> he's a grown man. he doesn't look the same. oh, i miss him. he's old. i don't wanna see anymore. >> reporter: she's heartbroken by what her son did to the grandchildren she'd help care for after their mother died. it's so hard, i wish i knew why he did this. i will never know. >> reporter: when we sat down with scott he wanted us to believe he was a changed man a father who would do anything for his kids. >> if you were offered a deal where you had to spend 25, 30, 40 years in prison in exchange for both of your kids going free, would you take it? >> for them goin' free? absolutely.

>> what about life in prison? >> sure. >> scott catt is a manipulator. he is a terrible excuse for a father. no one would be here today, except for the fact that scott catt decided a life of crime was easier than actually going to work every day, and raising his children. >> would you have said you're a good father? >> i thought i was. >> do you think you are now? >> i have serious doubts. i mean i think that we're all sittin' in here right now because of my inability to be a parent. >> reporter: what would beth say, your first wife? what would she say about you dragging your kids into -- >> i can't even imagine. can't even imagine. i'm just -- i'm really ashamed. >> my mommy that's when he cries. >> reporter: he didn't cry about

his kids but about his wife. >> yes. >> reporter: abby's lawyer gave us letters from her dad for them doing hard time so he could do less. we went back last week to confront scott face to face. this is your letter to abby. >> where did you get this? >> reporter: it's -- it's your handwriting, isn't it? >> yeah, definitely is. >> reporter: and it's your letter. >> yes. >> reporter: you told me recently that you would be willing to spend life in prison in order that your kids do not. >> i would. >> reporter: but here you are asking her essentially to do time for you. >> look, i -- yeah, i was tryin' to manipulate. i'm tryin' to get something they could live with. >> reporter: everybody? you got your kids involved in this, and you're asking them to do time for you. it says it right here. here it is again, "i do believe that you doing prison time will be good for me. and i know that wasn't an easy choice for you." >> and that's what she said to

me in the previous letter, that she was willin' to do that. >> reporter: wouldn't most parents, say, try to dissuade their children? say, "please, don't admit to anything. i will take the entire blame here." >> i would love to, but they have so much evidence on everybody that what are we supposed to do? >> reporter: what's interesting is that you can't even leave 'em alone. it seems that you caused so much havoc in their life beforehand that you're even trying to -- you're even trying to manipulate them from behind bars, and us. >> what do you want me to say to that? >> reporter: in another letter scott encourages abby and hayden to exaggerate his addiction in their interviews with us all so that his story would appear more sympathetic. >> tell them i led a dual life involving drugs, alcohol and women and we can with them a little. >> reporter: you clearly told your. >> you know. >> reporter: kids to manipulate us.

>> i wanted to get some sort of, wow, some sort of movement on my case, something. >> it was a joke. i was joking around. that's the "ha-ha" part. >> reporter: i don't understand the humor. >> well, that's the humor of somebody that's done a lotta drugs and alcohol. >> reporter: he has done research on what would make them have a better story. so being a dug addict. being an alcoholic, your audience would excuse it and feel sorry for him. >> i did everything wrong. i wish i could take it back. i can't. there are so many regrets. >> reporter: your father says he blames himself. he says he lied to you for many years. do you believe him now? >> am i supposed to believe him all of a sudden? i want to. i always wanted to. i believe he feels remorse.

but i also believe that he still didn't have my best interests through all of this, through all of the court stuff. >> reporter: when we told scott his kids thought he failed as a father. he was dumbfounded. >> did they forget the happy times? they don't remember the trip to disneyland? i wish i could have made those memories a little more lasting for them. >> reporter: and unbelievably despite everything, abby and hayden say, they forgive their father. >> i've forgiven him because i have to for myself. and so i can start to live a normal life. i don't want hate, anger, and any of that in my heart. >> reporter: if your father were right here, hayden, what would you say to him? >> uh, you know, i'd tell him that i forgive him and that i don't want him to carry this burden around with him for the rest of his life. >> reporter: when we come back an extraordinary television

moment abby and hayden reunite. and you wont believe what our mics picked up. that moment is something. a judge decides the fate of the family. what do you think the father should serve? what about his children? should abby and hayden serve the same amount use the #abc 20/20 we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ you're all alone friend, ♪ pick up the phone then. ♪ ring ring, call them up, ♪ tell them about the new trends. ♪ ♪ because she gets to choose from so many different varieties of coffee from her own keurig brewer.

isn't brittany so lucky? brew the love. keurig.

>> announcer: matt gutman continues with more of 20/20. >> reporter: they'd committed the crime, now came the punishment. the serial bank robber who disturbingly recruited his own son and daughter to help him during a string of holdups has learned his fate. >> how do you plea to the offense? >> guilty. >> and are pleading guilty freely and voluntarily? >> yes. >> reporter: scott catt's 15 minutes of infamy would stretch into 24 years of prison. >> i mean i'm 51 years old, so -- to me -- that is life. you know, if i don't have the opportunity to get out and see parole -- and make amends to my family and friends and repair some of those

relationships, then it might as well be life. >> reporter: texas penitentiaries, are some of the toughest in the world. where prisoners have allegedly died from a soaring heat index of up to 130 degrees. hayden accepted a deal of ten years, a sizzling cell in texas about a world removed from his suburban childhood in oregon. >> reporter: what do you expect prison life to be like? >> hell. as close to hell on earth as you can get. >> how do you plea to the offense? >> guilty. >> reporter: abby plead to guilty and was given a five year sentence. sheriff troy nehls was so disturbed by scott's manipulation of his kids that he's decided to help 19 year old abby. instead of shipping her off to prison for five years he's decided to keep her here at the jail -- where we found her stitching patches onto police uniforms. >> i just feel that she's more of a victim in this, so my goal is to try to educate her, get here where she can get her ged and try to teach her some type

of a skills set here to when she gets out can lead a productive life. >> reporter: for abby all has left is her brother, hayden. why does that make you sad now? >> because i miss him. and there's just nothing we can do for each other. you know, and i can't comfort him and it makes me sad. >> reporter: making an unprecedented gesture sheriff troy niehls allowed us to bring them together one last time before they served their sentences. brother and sister haven't seen each other in a year since the day of their arrest. hayden is brought in shackled hand and foot. and the jailhouse rules were strict. no touching. the soulmate siblings couldn't seem to help reaching out breaking one last rule. >> hey, abby. are you doing okay? >> yes. >> okay. >> i'm just happy to see you. >> yeah, me too. >> abby, i'm sorry, okay. >> i don't blame you for

anything, hayden. just know that i love you forever. >> i love you, too. >> i don't blame you for anything. nothing. >> it's going to be a long time until i see you. >> i know. i love you. >> i love you, too. >> can i give him a hug? >> no, i can't hug you. >> no? >> no. >> reporter: and on the spur of the moment we asked the sheriff for one more act of kindness. >> if you guys want to give each other a hug, the sheriff says it's okay. >> reporter: it could be 10 years before abby and hayden could embrace again. listen closely our mics picking up abby's heart pounding. >> it's going to be okay. >> i know. >> it's just going to be a couple years till i can see you.

>> i love you. >> i love you too. >> i don't want you to go. >> i know. >> reporter: and gushing out came the grief, and the regret and the anger. >> thank you for the hug i needed it. >> i know. >> i love you. >> i love you too. >> okay. >> if you ever start to feel down or anything just start to think about all the good times we had okay? >> okay. >> because that will get you through. >> okay. i love you. >> abby, i love you too. i'll see you soon, okay? >> okay, bye. >> reporter: after 10 minutes of comfort, shackled again. >> you see her sitting here. >> reporter: the sibling's love for one another, the one thing their fool-hearted father couldn't destroy.

a brother and sister who still have a bond. if you were hayden and abby would you forgive your father tweet us use the #abc 20/20, the father and son will learn in weeks which texas prison they will be sent to. abby will spend her time in the jail we met her. she's eligible for parole in 18 months. when we come back, barbara walters is working on something right now. >> announcer: next, what do miley cyrus and duck dynasty [ male announcer ] this holiday, don't get stuck at the corner of "oh! you got me something" and "oh...this is awkward." remember, walgreens has a great assortment of little somethings,

and we're always nearby, so it's easy to get in and out. see you on your lunch break. swing by walgreens for lindt lindor truffles, hallmark cards, and more. plus, get up to 20 dollars in jingle cash on next week's purchase of 30 dollars or more. here at the corner of happy and healthy. so i got the windows nokia tablet. it's, well, impressive. it's got the brightest hd screen, super-fast 4g lte, so my son can play games and movies almost anywhere, and it's got office for school stuff. but the best part? i got the lumia 928 for my daughter for free, with the best low-light smartphone camera this side of the north pole. dad for the win. mm! mm! mm! ♪ honestly, i want to see you be brave ♪ ♪ ♪ i wanna spread a little love this year ♪ ♪ i wanna spread a little love and cheer ♪

[ male announcer ] this december, remember: you can unwrap craftsmanship, inspiring capability, and some of the best offers of the year on our most versatile luxury utility vehicles at the lexus december to remember sales event. this is the pursuit of perfection. ♪ yes! ♪ attention... he went to jared. [ female announcer ] create your own one-of-a-kind ring at jared this friday through sunday and receive get set in diamonds rewards -- up to a thousand dollars toward a beautiful diamond setting when you buy your diamond at jared. choose from thousands of diamonds and hundreds of settings. oh. please return your fiancée to her original upright position. [ female announcer ] get up to a thousand dollar reward at jared, the galleria of jewelry.

a preview of something you don't want to miss this coming wednesday, barbara walters ten most fascinating people of the year. as you know a big year for barbara, her last one doing the ten most fascinating people not just the people we couldn't take our eyes off this year but a look back, the interviews we're still talking about. >> you know that you're a star, when everybody talks about your hair. >> that was so bizarre, when everybody is like what's the weirdest thing about all of this? probably seeing my hair cut. >> are you a different person now than before this? >> i better be.

i don't want to be the same person. i think that everything happens for a reason for a purpose. >> what do you say of people who say, i miss the old miley. >> i have to say, do you miss being 13? because i don't miss being 13. >> we start out, then we drop down to a wild police chase in los angeles comes to a violent end.

>> you will see the chaos on [ female announcer ] here's to a whole world of happier holidays. time to enchant, delight and amaze. safeway will help you gather everyone 'round. a smoked, shank half ham is only 99 cents a pound. with starbucks at $6.99, top it off with coffee-mate... just $2.79 for all kinds of flavors. turns out this season less is really so much more. so make your holiday merrier than ever before. safeway. ingredients for life. so make your holiday merri want you to be kind.ff i want you to be smart. super smart. i want one thing in a doctor. i want you to be handsome. i want you to be awesome. i don't want you to look at the chart before you say hi...david. i want you to return my emails. i want you to keep me doing this for another sixty years. at kaiser permanente, we want you to choose the doctor that's right for you. find your perfect match at kp.org