this is "nightline." tonight, a mother's sin. >> the cold look in her eyes scared me. >> one daughter's search for her birth mother unearthing a terrifying family truth. sharing the same blood as one of the country's most notorious killers. inside the unthinkable crime that gripped the nation. plus, toy story 4. buzz and woody launching a new adventure. >> you gotta go, you gotta go. >> the original stars behind the blockbuster franchise on years of friendship to infinity and beyond! >> to infin at this and beyond! but first the "nightline" five.

good evening. thank you for joining us. it was a violent crime.g tee children. prosecutors believing she did it for love. now an adopted daughter's search for peace after stumbling on a dark truth. >> reporter: according to elizabeth diane downs, she and her three children were shot by

a strange man. >> reporter: it was an unma'amabimaginable crime. >>q we had not overlooked any possible suspects. >> reporter: a mother accused of murdering one of her young children and trying to kill the other two. >> at night when i close my eyes, i can see kristy reaching her hand out to me while i'm driving. >> a part of me was afraid that that's where i came from, does that mean that's where i'm going? >> diane downs was a 27-year-old mother who had just moved up to oregon from chandler, arizona. ? she was a mother of three children, ages 8, 7, 3. she was a postal worker. >> reporter: on the night of may 19th, diane downs went out for a drive, taking her three children with her. >> and she took a detour to do

some sightseeing. >> diane said like i had flagged her car down. it was dark. and she had her three sleeping young kids in the car. >> reporter: she says she pulls over to help the man. >> supposedly, the man wanted her car, demanded her keys. >> she said you've got to be kidding. at which time he pushed her aside and began shooting the three kids. >> reporter: diane says the man shoots her in the left arm, but she's able to distract him and makes her escape. then quickly drives herself and her children to the hospital. >> i can only imagine the shock of everyone at the hospital when up rolls diane downs with three bloody children. >> cheryl was dead, and danny and were badly wounded.n shot >> when i got to the hospital, i

was directed to interview the mother. >> reporter: investigators say her behavior seemed odd from the beginning. >> her demeanor was flat. not one tear, even though she knew that cheryl had it was surreal. >> when i was finished taking care of kristy, then i sought out her mother, and to my complete surprise, diane was non-emotional. and then she says, that really ruined my new car. i got blood all over the back of it. >> cops are wracking their brains to try to put this case together. >> we're going to do a videotape reenactment. >> diane downs is trying to show the investigators exactly what happened. >> like that. i got in the car. put the keys in. i just hit my calf!

okay. >> she'd hit her cast and made her statement "this is worse than", and she caught herself. so we speculated what she would have said to finish that sentence, and we think she would have said this is worse than when i shot myself. >> reporter: she gives a jaw-dropping interview. >> when we got to talk to her, they said she could bring her lawyer to the interview we wanted to do. she showed up by herself, and i said gotcha. >> everybody says you sure were lucky. i don't feel very lucky. i couldn't tie my damn shoes for about two months. it was very painful, it is still painful. the scar is going to be there forever. i'm going to remember that night the rest of my life. i don't think i y, i think my kids were lucky. if i had been shot the way they were we all would have died. >> reporter: she says she surpr

pregnant. >> you can't replace children, but they give me love, satisfaction, stability, a reason to live and a reason to be happy, and that's gone. they took it from me. but children are so easy to conceive. >> reporter: the father, a man she met on her mail delivery route. >> while diana's talking herself into the prime suspect chair, police are quietly gathering evidence. >> then, let's talk about the weapon, a .22 caliber handgun. she tells police she does not have a handgun. >> we discovered that she had bought a pistol, and it was a .22, and it was a ruger. well, bingo. >> reporter: the murder weapon is never found. but. >> they searched diane downs' home and they find a rifle, and there were some .22 shells in the rifle that had been ejected from some other weapon.

the markings on those bullets matched the markings on the shell casings found at the crime scene. >> reporter: police also find her diaries. inside, a possible motive. >> when you read diane downs' diary, you read nick, nobody's ever been able to take your place in my heart. my kids aren't any trouble. >> reporter: nick was a former co-worker diane had fallen in love with back in arizona. >> nick liked kids, but he said i didn't want to be a daddy. >> diane considered the kids to be hindrance to nick's arrival. >> if she didn't have these kids in the way anymore, she could have her lover that she was having trouble living without. >> reporter: now the evidence is piling up. police arrest diane nine months after the shooting. she then heads to trial.

visibly pregnant. >> what was a jury supposed to think? who wants to send a pregnant mom to jail for life? >> reporter: the key witness, her 9-year-old daughter kristy, the dramatic courtroom scene recreated in this made-for-tv abc mini series about the case. >> who shot you? >> my mom. >> reporter: the jury is unanimous. >> the jury delivered its guilty verdicts on all five counts of murder, attempted murder and assault. >> reporter: diane downs is sentenced to life, plus 50 years in prison. >> downs showed no emotion.emot. >> reporter: the story wouldn't end there. the prosecutor adopts diane's surviving children. danny and kristy, but there was still the days after diane's conviction, i accompanied diane

to the hospital. about the only thing that i thought was we saved this baby's life. she's got a chance for a normal life. and afterwards, a caseworker arrived and took the child, and that was the last that diane saw her. >> reporter: the baby named becky was adopted by a loving family. but it would be years before she found out where she came from. >> i never had questions about my biological dad. it was mainly about my biological mom. >> reporter: when she's 11 years old, she finds out the name of her biological mother and that there's a book about her "small sacrifices". >> i opened it and looked at a picture of diane downs sitting at a table. it was a face to what i had been looking for. and it wasn't a face that i wanted to see.

the cold look in her eyes scared me. and it was scary. i slammed the book shut. >> reporter: but a few years later, she says a boyfriend shows her that abc mini series based on the book. >> after seeing that movie, her life goes in a downward spiral. >> what did that moean for me? is that who i have to become? i was afraid i came from a monster. i was afraid that i have that potential. >> reporter: becky becomes a mother herself at age 17 and again at age 20. by then she says she realizes she cannot care for this new baby and places him for adoption. >> there's a parallel there that history is repeating itself. >> holding him was heartbreaking, because i knew i couldn't keep holding him. it takes a piece of you.

and i wanted to connect with somebody. it made me think about diane. and i actually wanted to reach out to her. >> reporter: becky decides to write to diane in prison. >> i wanted to relate to her, not as a mother, because i had a mother. just as somebody that felt the pain and emptiness that i felt in that time. >> reporter: she says diane writes her back almost immediately. >> you look like me. same chin. don't you hate it? you are beautiful. first letter seemed to possibly have that connection i was looking for. i could almost hear her voice in her letters. >> reporter: but as the two continue corresponding, becky says the tone of diane's letters changes. >> they progressively got more and more insane. she wrote back accusing me of being one of the people trying to harm her. and at that point i completely regretted everything, any contact with her. and so i put a stop to it.

the pressure i felt of being diane downs' daughter growing up switched into power. >> reporter: after years of soul searching, becky started sharing her story publicly, taking control of her life. a proud mother to her son, now a sophomore in high school. >> did you have a good day? >> i had a great day. >> i compare where i was at that age to where he is. and my heart overflows with joy and pride. >> reporter: over the years, becky has been in touch with her half sister kristy, who along with her half brother danny have chosen to live privately. diane downs remains behind bars, likely pour life. she and some of her family maintain her innocence. >> i'm becky babcock. i'm not diane downs' daughter. and my story is not the story of a victim. it's just part of where i came from. >> reporter: diane downs is up for parole next year.

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>> have you ever done an interview in the rain like this? where it's actually pouring on you? >> oh, no. oy story 4" why shining at toy story land in ndisney world. those iconic lines from tim allen's buzz year and tom hanks' woody. the two who have become our friends. you look at the body of work that you've done over your careers, where does this stand? >> first there's this sweep of it, i think we're on our fifth or sixth generation being introduced to woody and buzz. that's powerful. you've got to bow down to the powers of the cinema. that's something you don't take lightly. it speaks to absolutely everybody of every age. >> i got a great friendship out of this thing. >> right, right, of course. >> on top of that, there's

something honorable about this character i wish i was. something innocent about this character i wish i was. and it's a beautiful experience, and this rates way up there. >> buzz, my old movin' buddy. >> woody! it's bo peep! what are you doing here? >> potato head. >> hey, watch it, buddy. >> reporter: well, the toys are back, and with them, the beloved franchise that for over two decades has made us laugh, tugged at our and brought out the inner kid in all of us. >> hpicass >> reporter: the blockbuster lm produced by pixar, owned by abc's parent company disney, have been deligldre and criti alike, wning three oscars and winning a billion at

the box office. in this latest installment, the toys are adjusting to life with a new owner, named bonnie. >> this one is bigger than you might imagine, about throw away stuff and what's important to people. and you're doing this through the eyes of a toy, and they're able to hit on this level of adult humor a little bit. definitely, kids are going to love it and visually, it's stunning, just beautiful to look at. >> reporter: among the familiar faces there's new toys as well, a spork turned homemade toy played by tony hale. >> these are your friends. >> hi. >> ooh, trash. trash. >> it's okay. >> reporter: keanu reeves is a motorcycle daredevil. >> canada's greatest stuntman. >> reporter: christina hendricks is the villainous antique doll,

and plush buddies. >> how do you like that, cheetah? ha, ha! to infinity and beyond! >> buzz, you're flying. >> reporter: but for the first stars of toy story, these films have become more han juthan jus movies. they're a big part of their lives. >> to infinity and beyond! >> reporter: i want you to look at some of these photos and tell me what you see. so here's the premiere of toy story. >> oh, lord, oh, my lord. >> look at you guys. >> reporter: how much have you both changed since these photos? >> oh, dear, oh, dear. we've been through a lot, i must say. >> yeah, we've been through a lot. >> i think i bought that from the gap. shapeless, unfitting thing. >> this is where you could wear a bathmat. >> stop with the tee shirt. >> reporter: what are some of

your most memorable lines? >> the greatest one, you -- you -- are -- a -- toy! >> reporter: and for fans who want to hold onto their toys just a little bit longer, there may be more toy stories to come. the future of the franchise still has to be determined, but is this the end of buzz and woody? >> i don't know. you need to ask somebody else higher up on the food chain. >> reporter: how long can this franchise go? >> it depends. >> to infinity and beyond! >> and beyond! >> it's to infinity and beyond! >> reporter: for "nightline," paula faris in orlando, florida. >> "toy story 4" is in theaters now. and next, the heart-pumping, high wire stunt high above times square.

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and finally tonight, the high pressure, high wire act. the scene is set for nik and

leanna wallenda to walk across a wire 20 stories above times square, returning to the rope two years after a terrifying fall. >> my worst nightmare came true. >> the world watching as the duo takes their first step to new heights. you can watch high wire live sunday at 8:00/7:00 central right here on abc. that's "nightline." you can always catch our full episodes without a net on hulu. thanks for the company, america. have a good weekend. it's a revolution in sleep. the sleep number 360 smart bed is on sale now during our lowest prices of the season. it senses your movement, and automatically adjusts

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