In 2017, Sheila Keen-Warren was arrested and later convicted of the second-degree murder of Marlene Warren in a cold case dating back to 1990. She was released from prison just 18 months after her guilty plea. Keen-Warren, who dressed as a clown when she shot Marlene to death in Wellington, Florida, had been a suspect from the beginning of the case, but lack of evidence prevented charges initially.
Despite her plea deal, Keen-Warren has maintained her innocence throughout the legal process. Her lawyer, Greg Rosenfeld, expressed joy at her release and reiterated her innocence in the crime. The case gained notoriety due to the killer clown disguise worn by Keen-Warren during the murder.
New DNA evidence in 2014 eventually linked Keen-Warren to the crime scene, leading to her arrest and conviction. Witnesses, including the victim’s son and friends, reported seeing a person dressed as a clown delivering balloons and flowers before shooting Marlene in the face. Keen-Warren went on to marry Michael Warren, the husband of her victim, fueling speculation of an affair between the two at the time of the murder.
Michael Warren was initially a suspect in the case but was never charged or convicted. The lack of surviving witnesses or new evidence made Keen-Warren’s case challenging to prosecute initially. However, the retested DNA evidence ultimately led to her arrest and conviction in 2017.
The release of Sheila Keen-Warren from prison has brought closure to a decades-old cold case that shocked the community. Despite her release, questions surrounding the motive behind the murder and the relationship between Keen-Warren and Michael Warren remain unanswered. The killer clown cold case serves as a reminder of the importance of forensic evidence in solving crimes and delivering justice to victims and their families.