Sheila Keen-Warren, who is also known as Killer Clown, pleaded guilty to murdering her husband's then-wife in 1990 in Florida. She dressed as a clown in May 1990 and went to Marlene Warren's house. As Marlene opened the door to a clown standing in front of her, the latter shot her in the head.
According to the episode Murder By Clown from 48 Hours, Marlene Warren was having breakfast with her son Joe Ahrens on May 26, 1990. When a clown knocked, Marlene went to answer the door and said, "How pretty," after receiving a basket of flowers and two balloons. It was at that time when the clown lifted a gun and shot her.
Immediately after Marlene's murder was reported, investigators tried to figure out who wanted her gone. They then focused on her husband Michael Warren, Ahrens' step-dad, as he was rumored to have an affair with his employee Sheila Keen-Warren.
Ahrens alleged that his mother told him Michael would be responsible if anything happened to him. Michael and Sheila became the suspects in the murder. However, as Michael was out with friends at the time of the murder, his name was ruled out. It all came down to Sheila, who alleged that she was working at that time.
The investigation further led to investigators learning about a woman, who fit Keen's description, buying a clown costume, balloons, and flowers before the murder. They also found an abandoned car that fit Ahrens' description of the murderer's getaway vehicle with brown hair in it. Moreover, orange fibers were also found in Keen's apartment that were similar to the clown's wig.
Due to a lack of evidence against Sheila Keen-Warren, the prosecutors did not charge her. With time, the case grew cold, and it was not until 2017 that a cold case unit took it up again.
The unit determined that the brown hair in the abandoned car matched Keen's. When the investigators found out that Keen tied the knot with Michael Warren in 2002, they called it a "mission accomplished" for them.
Over 27 years later, on September 26, 2017, Sheila Keen-Warren was arrested for the murder of Marlene Warren.
Why Sheila Keen-Warren has been released from prison?
While Keen-Warren was taken into custody in 2017, she pleaded guilty in April 2023. According to Florida Department of Corrections records, she was released from prison 18 months after she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
This happened because she allegedly maintained her innocence in prison. She was sentenced to 12 years in prison, but had been in custody for seven years. Moreover, Florida's law in 1990 allowed credit for good behavior, which helped Sheila to get an early release.
Sheila Keen-Warren's attorney Greg Rosenfeld had mentioned that she pleaded guilty only to get released in less than two years. Per CBS, he alleged that Keen-Warren did not murder Marlene after her release.
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"We are absolutely thrilled that Ms. Keen-Warren has been released from prison and is returning to her family. As we've stated from the beginning, she did not commit this crime"
Michael Warren did not allegedly face any charges in Marlene's murder.
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