Famous Clown Murder Case Comes to an End in Florida
After a bizarre and twisted case that has captured the attention of many, Sheila Keen-Warren, the woman who dressed as a clown and murdered the wife of a man she later married in 1990, has been released from prison in Florida. The case, which has been described as strange even by Florida standards, finally came to a close on Saturday.
Sheila Keen-Warren, now 61, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the shooting of Marlene Warren and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. However, due to time served and Florida’s laws at the time, she was released after spending seven years in custody since her arrest in 2017.
Despite her guilty plea, Keen-Warren has maintained her innocence. Her attorney, Greg Rosenfeld, stated that she took the plea deal to avoid a potential life sentence if convicted at trial.
“We are absolutely thrilled that Ms. Keen-Warren has been released from prison. As we’ve stated from the beginning, she did not commit this crime,” Rosenfeld said in a text message.
Marlene Warren was shot by a clown who rang her doorbell in 1990. Investigators suspected Keen-Warren in the murder, and she was eventually arrested 27 years later when DNA evidence linked her to the crime scene.
At the time of the murder, Keen-Warren worked for Marlene Warren’s husband, Michael. They later got married and moved to Virginia, where they ran a restaurant. Witnesses claimed that Keen-Warren and Michael Warren were having an affair, which both denied.
Throughout the investigation, costume shop employees identified Keen-Warren as the person who bought a clown suit before the murder. Additionally, evidence such as balloons and fibers found in the getaway car linked her to the crime.
Despite the circumstantial evidence, Keen-Warren’s defense argued that the state’s case was weak and that there were holes in the investigation due to the long delay in bringing the case to trial.
Michael Warren, Marlene’s husband, was convicted of unrelated charges in 1994 and served time in prison. He has denied any involvement in his wife’s murder.
The case of the clown murder in Florida has finally come to a conclusion, but the mystery and intrigue surrounding it will likely linger for years to come.
