Florida ‘killer clown’ who married victim’s husband released from prison

A Florida woman convicted of killing a woman while wearing a clown suit, then marrying the victim’s husband, has been released from prison.

Sheila Keen-Warren, 61, was released seven years into a 12-year sentence. She pleaded guilty to second-degree murder but could have faced the death penalty if convicted at trial.

Despite pleading guilty, Keen-Warren maintained her innocence and said she only cut the plea as a risk-reward calculation.

“We are absolutely thrilled that Ms. Keen-Warren has been released from prison and is returning to her family,” her attorney, Greg Rosenfeld, told The Associated Press. “As we’ve stated from the beginning, she did not commit this crime.”

On May 26, 1990, Marlene Warren opened the door at her Palm Beach County home and greeted a visitor, dressed as a clown. The visitor handed Warren, 40, a fistful of balloons then shot her dead and walked out to a Chrysler sedan.

Warren’s murder went unsolved for decades. In 2002 her former husband, Michael Warren, married Sheila Keen. Keen had previously worked at Warren’s car dealership and the two opened a restaurant in Tennessee together.

At the time of Marlene Warren’s murder, witnesses told police Michael Warren and Sheila Keen were having an affair. The two denied it when asked by police and acquaintances, though Marlene Warren was reportedly considering a divorce.

“If anything happens to me, Mike done it,” Marlene Warren told her mother, according to police.

Michael Warren was never charged in connection with his wife’s death. Sheila Keen-Warren was arrested in 2017 and remained jailed ahead of a potential trial. In April 2023, she took a plea deal and served an additional 18 months.

“Sheila Keen-Warren will always be an admitted convicted murderer and will wear that stain for every day for the rest of her life,” Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg said in a statement Saturday.