Sheila Keen-Warren is a woman from Florida who was accused in the murder of Marlene Warren has plead guilty to her murder
According to court documents Sheila Keen-Warren was in love with a man named Michael Warren who was at the time married to Marlene Warren. Shelia Keen-Warren wearing a clown outfit would knock on the Warren’s residence and when Marlene Warren answered the door she was fatally shot.
The Marlene Warren murder went cold for decades until DNA advanced to the point where Florida police were able to use it to tie Sheila Keen-Warren to the case. She would be arrested and has been awaiting trial since 2017
Now Sheila Keen-Warren has plead guilty to second degree murder
Sheila Keen-Warren News
In a bombshell plea deal, Sheila Keen-Warren pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the 1990 Wellington shooting death of her romantic rival Marlene Warren.
The plea came two weeks before the highly anticipated and often delayed trial in a case that has garnered national attention.
Keen-Warren’s attorneys called it a victory for their client.
“This is a huge win for our team. I can’t say it enough that when she was arrested, the state of Florida wanted to execute her. This was a death penalty case for 18 months,” said lead attorney Greg Rosenfeld.
After almost six years in jail accused of being Wellington’s Killer Clown, Sheila Keen-Warren changed her plea from not guilty to guilty.
“You understand when you leave this room, you can’t come back here and change this plea?” asked Judge Scott Suskauer.
“Yes, sir,” said Keen-Warren
For years, Keen-Warren’s lawyers vigorously filed motions poking possible holes in the state’s case, claiming evidence was contaminated, other possible suspects — including an inmate who allegedly confessed — were ignored and witnesses to the murder all described the clown as a man.
Her lawyer says he thinks it worked.
“So we’re thrilled with the resolution. We are beyond happy for our client. And I want to reiterate that Ms. Warren’s innocent,” Rosenfeld said.
Prosecutors always maintained Keen-Warren is the real killer, but two weeks before trial, they suddenly offered her 12 years instead of the life sentence she was facing.
At the plea hearing, prosecutors outlined their evidence — a clown wig fiber found in Keen-Warren’s apartment and in the clown getaway car, witnesses who would testify she was the one who bought a clown costume and makeup days before the murder, and others who would say Keen-Warren was having an affair with the victim’s husband.
And despite the reasonable doubt the defense was able to dig up, Rosenfeld said Keen-Warren did not want to gamble with being convicted and sentenced to life.
“I think, ultimately, the state recognized the weaknesses in their case. I think they wanted their conviction and our client wanted to go home. She’ll be going home in ten months. She’ll be with her family,” Rosenfeld said.
