...By Gift BADEWO for TDPel Media.
Woman Dressed as ‘Killer Clown’ Pleads Guilty to Murder
Sheila Keen-Warren, 59, has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a Palm Beach County court, 33 years after she dressed as a “killer clown” to murder her love rival, Marlene Warren.
On 26 May 1990, Keen-Warren turned up at Marlene’s home in clown attire, holding balloons and a bouquet of flowers.
When Marlene opened the door, Keen-Warren shot her in the face before calmly walking away.
Marlene was the first wife of Keen-Warren’s husband Michael.
Keen-Warren has been sentenced to 12 years in prison, six of which she has already served after her initial arrest in 2017.
However, she could be released as soon as next year for good behavior. Marlene’s son, Joseph Ahrens, aged 22 at the time, was with her when she was killed.
They were eating breakfast when they heard a knock at the door, and moments after answering it, Marlene was dead.
Cold Case Heats Up
The case sat cold for 24 years until investigators learned that Keen-Warren had married husband Michael in 2002 and had worked for him at the time of the murder.
Witnesses also alleged that the pair had been having an affair for years before.
Marlene apparently believed that her husband had cheated on her and wanted to leave him but was fearful of the consequences.
Relatives said that she told them, “If anything happens to me, Mike done it.”
In 2017, Keen-Warren was booked when DNA evidence linked her to the crime scene.
The trial was stalled for six years due to a series of postponements, including the Covid-19 pandemic.
Plea Deal and Reaction
Keen-Warren’s guilty plea has obtained a measure of justice for Marlene and her son Joseph, according to Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg.
He said that she will be a convicted murderer for the rest of her days. Joseph told the court that he didn’t see any remorse from the killer.
Keen-Warren’s lawyer, Greg Rosenfield, called the plea deal an incredible win for his client and insisted that she was not a murderer.
Despite her guilty plea, Keen-Warren maintains her innocence and denies any infidelity.
