this is "nightline." >> tonight, killer clown? a nightmare comes to life when a stranger in a clown costume brings death to the doorstep of an unsuspecting mother. >> the clown hands her balloons, pulls out a gun, and fires it point blank range. >> the murder unsolved for decades. then a bizarre twist and a break in the case. >> she got away with it for so long. >> why was an arrest made now? plus the day i met el chapo. a mexican movie star's life changed forever after a secret rendezvous with actor sean penn and one of the world's most wanted drug

>> what were you most afraid of? >> he might rape me or kill me. >> now her relationship with penn -- >> sex is just sex. >> first the "nightline 5." >> my daughter is studying to be a dentist and she gave me advice vr she said, dad, go pro with crest pro health. protects all areas dentists check most. >> immediately i felt a difference. it did an extremely good job of cleaning. >> 4 of 5 dentists confirm these pro health products help maintain a professional clean. crest pro health. >> my daughter inspired me to make a change. crest pro health really brought my mouth to the next level. >> crest, healthy, beautiful smiles for life. >> number one in just 60 seconds.

good evening. thanks for joining us. in many ways it's the perfect disguise. a big orange wig,

nose, face paint. when a person in a clown costume shot and killed a suburban wife and mother in broad daylight, it seemed the case would never be solved. until now. over 27 years later, a break in the case. here's abc's deborah roberts. >> reporter: the clowncentric blockbuster "it" international sensation this year, becoming the top horror film of all-time. but in 1990, "it" was real. >> people were concerned it was a mad, craze clown. >> this is not fun and games. >> that was going to show up at your door and shoot you in the face. >> reporter:wellington, florida. a hidden jewel in the crown of palm beach county. on a saturday morning in may of 1990, someone dressed as a clown and driving a white chrysler la baron heads into the community of aero park. inside a d

earmarked for mrs. marlene warren. >> the clown walked to the door. and then marlene answered the door. >> the clown hands her balloons and some flowers, she says, oh, how pretty. >> i'll still remember this fact to this day. one of the balloons said "you're the greatest." >> the clown pulls out a gun and fires it point blank range into marlene's face. >> reporter: at the time of the shooting, marlene's 22-year-old son, joe, is at home with friends. >> he remembers seeing the clown's brown eyes as the clown got into a white cries letter la baron. >> reporter: the 40-year-old mom lingers, but there's no hope. she dies two days later. her still-grieving parents say she had no enemies. >> marlene was outstanding. friendly, loving. >> reporter: eerily, mom shirley tells us the family always liked clowns. in fact, here's their circus room in their home. >> she liked the clowns when she was a little girl. i come in

>> reporter: at the time of the murders, marlene's husband of 18 years, michael warren, was running a used car lot and rental car agency. >> a lot of the cars were not the best cars to buy. it was one of those places that you went if you had really bad credit. >> reporter: whispers of an affair. marlene told her parents the marriage was rocky. >> she said to her parents, if something happens to me, michael did it. >> reporter: racing to find the killer, detectives conduct surveillance at her burial and run down leads. police are reportedly quizzing business associates of michael warren who confirm his dead wife's suspicions about michael cheating. >> there were rumors, at least that mr. warren was having an affair with a specific woman that used to repossess cars for him. >> reporter: that woman is sheila keane. >> she apparently was tough as nails. people said she would go to any neighborhood, any time of the day or night, and put her flatbed truck up and take a car. she was fearless. >> reporter: both deny any romantic reti

about the supposed affair with sheila keane, he'd deny it. >> employees said she'd leave for long lunches together -- >> reporter: dkts get a search warrant for sheila's apartment, confiscating clothes and samples of her hair. they take a look at the widower they say stands to benefit from marlene's murder, including a life insurance policy covering the victim, full control of the family business, plus that home at aero club. in all, a seven-figure possible payout for the grieving husband. >> i told him, i says, mike, i don't think that you done it, but i know pretty damn well that you know more about it than you're letting out. and he says, honest, honest bill, he says, i don't know. >> reporter: he maintains his innocence and has an alibi. >> he was on i-95 headed to calder racetrack in miami during the time of the murder. he had friends with him in the car, so

dark clouds of suspicion gathering in the sunshine state. and sheila keane squarely in detectives' crosshairs. >> she allegedly went to an auto parts store she frequented dressed as a clown to entertain the owner's young children. >> reporter: good news for sheila, she says she has an alibi too. >> sheila said she could not possibly have committed this crime because she was ought repo'ing cars at the time. >> reporter: bad news, the evidence seems to point to her. employees at a costume shop and grocery store i.d.'d sheila to the police as a person who bought a clown costume, nowers and balloons before the murder. still, she wasn't arrested. prosecutors felt there was not enough evidence to get a conviction. and with that, the unsolved mystery fades from the headlines. >> once there were other horrific murders to cover, unfortunately marlene kind of got lost. >> reporter: but michael does go to prison. he's convicted of 43 counts of racketeering, theft, and

3 1/2 years. he's released on new year's eve in 1997. seven years later, he's living a quiet new life in the lovely quaint town of abington, virginia. and this 4,100 square foot home he built with his new wife. >> very friendly, outgoing, nice. >> reporter: neighbors brooke and rocky blevins become close friends with the newcomers, known to them as debbie and mike. >> very much in love, very close. >> reporter: in fact, mike and debbie worked together, running their business just across the state border in kingsport, tennessee. the two operate the purple cow, a quirky and popular drive-through fast food joint. they sold it last year. >> he prided himself in that, mike. he is a terrific cook. but they had a tremendous business. >> reporter: but it turns out that sociable, hard-working couple has a dark past. mike is none other than michael warren, whose wife marlene was

that killer dressed as a clown. as for debbie, she's actually sheila keane. the person police suspected of being that killer clown, who despite circumstantial evidence pointing her way was never charged with the crime. but palm beach county authorities say this case was still on their radar, and last month they were finally ready to arrest their key suspect, debbie. >> our agency received a call in regards to the murder of an individual that occurred back in 1990. >> reporter: on september 26th, a trap is set after the warrens are spotted leaving their home in their cadillac suv. >> the vehicles were strategically placed along various locations and observed the black cadillac escalade as it was traveling. >> reporter: the couple's escalade stopped and surrounded as her husband michael looks on, sheila placed in custody. the breakthrough authorities say was through something

didn't exist back in 1990. sophisticated dna testing. >> police in florida arresting a female suspect -- >> reporter: sheila warren's arrest makes headlines nationwide. >> detectives always suspected sheila but couldn't prove it. >> how confident are you that you have the shooter? >> 100%. >> reporter: while authorities are intentionally vague on exactly what they tested and how, investigators reportedly found orange fibers, possibly from a wig, and hair, in that cries letter la baron believed to be the getaway car. can you really go back 27 years and test evidence for today's dna technology and make a case? >> yeah, without a doubt, as long as dna has been preserved cold and dry. >> there's no way out, they're going to get results. >> reporter: sheila keane warren was extradited back to florida and is facing charges of first-degree murder with a firearm. >> sometimes justice can be delayed, but justice eventually arrives.

>> reporter: she later pleads not guilty. >> she vehemently denies any involvement. >> reporter: as for her husband, formerly married to murder victim marlene warren, tonight he's telling abc news sheila is falsely accused and that this is very serious and very unfair. investigators mum on whether he might face charges. >> i can't speak specifically to michael warren. we're going to investigate anyone who may be culpable and we'll make a decision on prosecutions as appropriate. >> reporter: meantime, back in palm beach county, there's a sense of relief that there's possibly an end to a bizarre and chilling murder case. >> i feel like crying. those nasty people. >> reporter: but emotions still raw all these years later for marlene warren's parents. >> you can't tell me that he didn't know. no way in heck. she got away with it for so long. if

rots in it. >> reporter: for "nightline," deborah roberts, west palm beach county, florida. up next, kay del castillo, the mexican-american actress who met secretly with the fugitive drug lord el chapo, on the nature of her encounters with sean penn. ecognized for her compassion and care. he spent decades fighting to give families a second chance. but to help others, they first had to protect themselves. i have afib. even for a nurse, it's complicated... and it puts me at higher risk of stroke. that would be devastating. i had to learn all i could to help protect myself. once i got the facts, my doctor and i chose xarelto®. xarelto®... to help keep me protected. once-daily xarelto®, a latest-generation blood thinner... ...significantly lowers the risk of stroke in people with afib not caused by a heart valve problem. it has similar effectiveness to warfarin. xarelto® works differently. warfarin interferes with at least 6 blood-clotting factors. xarelto® is selective, targeting just one critical factor interacting

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tonight we take you inside a mexican-american star's larger than life adventure. it started out with a single tweet and ended in a secret jungle meeting with a fugitive drug lord and the actor sean penn. tonight her new claim about

happened between her and the oscar winner. >> reporter: she's the brazen mexican-born american actress. kate del castillo, whose fame turned to infamy after her secret rendezvous with one of the world's most wanted drug kingpins, joaquin guzman, el chapo. she's known for being fearless. >> i'm not afraid, and i'm not afraid of any cartel people or the mexican government or sean penn. >> reporter: but on that night, with the notorious drug lord, even she admits she might have been in over her head. del castillo says it began back in 2012 after she sent a firestorm of controversial tweets. today i believe more in el chapo guzman than i do in the governments that hide truths from me. >> i had no idea it was going to go viral. next day i couldn't believe the turmoil that happened. >> reporter: eventually guzman's lawyers reached out to her and asked if she'd be

producing a film about his life. the actress and the drug lord began texting. it looks like a bit of a seduction. >> oh my god, they said i had a relationship with the guy. this mass media lynching was that. it sexualizing the whole thing. >> did you have a relationship with el chapo? >> oh my god, not at all, no. it was just business. he reached out to me, he wanted to give me his story life rights, and that was it. >> reporter: that's when hollywood a-lister sean penn asks if she'd bring him along. >> she's an amazing actor. i am a big fan of his work. i have a hollywood actor -- a hollywood producer with me, nothing's going to happen. for me it was feeling, you know -- >> protected? >> protected if a way. in a way. >> reporter: in the three-part docu-series "the day i met el chapo," she retraces her cloak and dagger journey. to meet

from two mexican prisons. >> so he opens the door for me. and he hugged me. and he said, hola, miga. but he was smiling the entire time. he was so happy and relaxed. >> he's been accused of kidnapping and torture and murder. >> oh, yeah. >> but he struck you as gentle? >> whatever i think about him, it's irrelevant, because i don't want to take away who he is. i can tell you how he treated me in person, he was a gentleman with me. >> after a night of drinking and talking, el chapo decides to escort you to your room? why do you think he did that? >> i think he wanted to have probably two minutes with me by himself, and to be a gentleman. and i said, you know -- because it was my only opportunity. let's not forget what i originally tweeted. let's do some good. >> you must have an afraid.

>> what were you afraid of? >> he might rape me, of course. yes. or kill me. >> did you feel like you'd put your life in his hands? >> totally. totally. and i think he also did that. because he trusted me with his life. he's a fugitive. >> reporter: she says while on that trip, she realized the oscar-winning actor had his own agenda. when did you first realize sean penn was doing an interview? >> right there. right there. >> on the spot? >> right there. he said, tell me if i can interview him. >> the look on your face -- >> it was daggers, what the hell? >> reporter: for the first time she makes a startling claim about sean penn. >> we were good friends and we laughed a lot. but we were working. >> you admit in the documentary that you fell for him. >> well, i -- i don't remember what i said and the circumstances. but i never fell for him. we had sex. >> okay. >> sorry, but -- yes.

single. something was going on. but that was it. and it was business. >> and so there was sex but there wasn't a relationship, in your mind? >> no, no. sometimes i think like a man. so -- yes. sex is just sex. >> and why wait until now? >> because nobody asked me. they were all -- it was so stupid, they were all thinking that i had something to do with el chapo, nobody asked me. >> reporter: regardless of their relationship, just three months after the meeting and days before penn published his story in "rolling stone," el chapo was apprehended. the mexican government saying, we caught him and it was thanks to her. >> exactly. it was a moment in my life that i will never forget. i was so scared. and angry at the same time. >> you're still upset thinking about it right now. >> i am. i am, it's been two years now that my life's been put on hold, basically. >> what is the

>> that i had nothing to do with him getting caught. nothing to do. i don't work for the government. i have nothing to do with the government. and i am just interested in my career and trying to do a good story and that was it. >> reporter: now the netflix docu-series causing new controversy. a spokesperson for sean penn alleging the film implicates penn in guzman's arrest, something they strongly deny. the notion a complete fabrication and bald-faced lie." >> he has seen this documentary. and in "variety" was quoted as saying there are profound inaccuracies. what's your reaction to that if. >> i said the same thing about his article. so he has probably a point of view, i have another point of view, he lived the whole experience in a way, i lived it another way. >> reporter: a spokes man for penn saying, this is nothing but a cheap national enquirer-esque tale inspire paid delusional person whose hungerer for fame is tawdry and unpleasant. penn was given the opportunity on multiple occasions to participate in

chapo" and did not do so. this series gives kate a chance to finally tell her side of this stranger than fiction story. this past january el chapo was extradited to the u.s. he's now awaiting trial on multiple charges related to alleged drug crimes and faces life in prison. as for castillo, she's still hoping to create a movie on guzman's life. how has this changed your career, if not your life? >> well, i lost a lot of jobs. a lot of contracts that i had. >> you were a risk factor? >> yes. but after two years now, i think it's better. now you can see i'm innocent. and they investigated the hell out of me. so now they know i'm innocent. and it was just a -- it was just a bad decision, probably. >> sean penn's spokesperson says miss del castillo participated in the fact-checking of his

"rolling stone" piece. "the day i met el chapo" is streaming now on netflix. we'll be right back. my friend susie cracks me up. but one laugh, and hello sensitive bladder. ring a bell? then you have to try always discreet. i didn't think protection this thin could work. but the super absorbent core turns liquid to gel. for incredible protection... ...that's surprisingly thin. so it's out of sight... ...and out of mind. always discreet. for bladder leaks. also in liners.

so glad you could join us on this friday night. thanks for watching abc news. as always we're online at abcnews.com and our "nightline" facebook page. good night, america. have a great weekend. >> here in las vegas, some people like blackjack while others prefer craps. but if you ask me, we've got the best game in town right here. so come on, let's play "who wants to be a millionaire." [cheers and applause] [dramatic music] ♪

are you guys ready to go today? [applause] we are in the middle of a great game. from encino, california, let's welcome back a returning contestant, nilanga amarasinghe. [applause] good to see you again. >> you too. >> last we saw you, you got to $5,000--you got to that threshold. >> yes. >> which means that money is safe, so it's nice to walk in here already with 5 grand in your pocket. >> sure is. >> and all we can do is add to it today. you're nine questions away from that $1 million. two lifelines you have left. so let's get back to makin' money. >> let's do it. >> all right, let's play "who wants to be a millionaire." [dramatic musical flourish] ♪ again, we're picking back up with a $7,000 question today. here it is. hbo's "westworld" series is based on a 1973 movie written by what author, also famous for his 1990 book about a different kind of theme park gone wrong?