nikki addimando went from a nightmare of abuse to a conviction to a jail cell.an appeal for clemency that's being watched across the nation the issue is will victims of domestic violence stop being prosecuted for defending themselves? here's "nightline" co-anchor juju chang. >> reporter: they say a picture's worth a thousand words. >> she had an instagram and it recorded a super wholesome life. >> reporter: but how much can you really tell fromabout a pers life from a snapshot? online nikki addimando was the perfect portrait of a young mom. two kids, ben if & fay. smiling, goofy. >> she took amazing photos of her kids. those are like their happiest memories. >> there was a cute element to the days, and then it seems like there was a very dark element to their nights. >> reporter: out of of frame there were things she didn't share. allegations of severe physical and sexual abuse at the hands of her partner, the father of her children. >> according to her testimony, he took out his gun. >> he told her that he was going to shoot her and himself and leave their chil

nikki addimando has been serving a 19-kweyear sentence for what says was self-defense against her abuserso many women behind bars. nikki suffered severe physical and sexual abuse for years, and now a law aimed at examining these kinds of cases means nikki might be freed from prison in time to spend christmas with her kids. >> that was the night nikki said she acted in self-defense, killing her partner, the father of her children who she says physically and sexually abused her for years. >> what's your name? >> grover. >> reporter: earlier that day child protective services visited the home after an anonymous tip that nikki looked bruised and battered. >> i got up and i went to go get the kids. i reached into the couch and kn kneed him and it fell and i shot him. >> reporter: during the trial nikki maintained that he threatened to kill her, but the prosecution questioned her credibility, and said that if she were being abused, she could have left. >> what did that feel like to hear guilty? >> it felt like the air was sucked out of the room completely. there was nothing. it was just pure h