Florida’s Notorious ‘Killer Clown’ Case: An Unexpected Twist After Three Decades

An Image of Marlene Warren and Joe Ahrens from CBS News

When Marlene Warren opened the door to her Wellington, Florida, home, an unidentified clown fatally shot her. Even though there were eyewitnesses, strong circumstantial evidence, and a suspect was quickly identified, it would take more than 30 years before her perpetrator was brought to prison.

Not only did the 1990 shooting death of Marlene Warren by a clown-costumed assailant haunt the general public, but also the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office. Despite the identification of two suspects, the case remained open for many years.

The current state attorney is Dave Aronberg.

Dave Aronberg said to CBS News, “It’s simple to understand why this story is so intriguing—who isn’t terrified of a murderous clown? This was a murder. Violence was not committed at random. It wasn’t a robbery at all.”

Florida “Killer Clown” Case

When Joe Ahrens’ mother wed Mike Warren, he was three years old. “That was the only father I knew,” Ahrens added.

Mike and Marlene Warren owned several businesses together, including Bargain Motors, a used car and rental business that was in Marlene’s name. The couple also owned a group of rental properties in West Palm Beach, an airplane, and racehorses.

Joe Ahrens remarked, “Their ignorance of this horrible atrocity, the terror, was unbearable.”

The morning of May 26, 1990, had gotten off to a good start. Ahrens, who was recovering from a broken leg, observed a clown coming their way while eating breakfast at home with his mother and three friends. The clown was carrying balloons and flowers.

In an interview with CBS News, Joe Ahrens said, “We kind of assumed that since I had a cast on, someone was sending it as a healing and symbolic measure.”

“When my mother opened the door, she fell and we heard a “bang.” We were aware that something was awry at that point. My mother was having trouble breathing, so I raced to the phone and immediately dialed 911.”

After Marlene Warren was shot in the face, she was rushed to a nearby hospital. The 40-year-old would remain in critical condition for two days before she was removed from life support and died.

Investigation

The Sheriff’s Office for Palm Beach County began questioning witnesses and looking for anyone who could have recently bought a clown suit.

According to Ahrens, his mother once told him, “If anything happens to me, your father did it,” because she believed Mike Warren was having an extramarital affair.

But the investigators learned Marlene’s husband, Mike Warren, was in a car with friends heading to a racetrack at the time the shooting took place.

Investigators sought to determine where the clown’s flowers and balloons were purchased after retrieving them from the scene. They were able to connect them to a nearby store in a matter of days. Investigators discovered that Sheila Keen’s long brown hair matches a description of the woman who bought the balloons and flowers.

Detectives also spoke with a store employee who claimed that a female client who matched Sheila Keen’s description and had long brown hair and brown eyes had paid cash for a clown costume days before the shooting. Authorities discovered this white Chrysler LeBaron, which matched the description of the clown’s getaway vehicle, in a parking area eight miles from the location of the shooting four days after Marlene Warren was shot. Investigators discovered brown human hair and orange threads inside the vehicle that they believe to be parts of a clown wig.

A search warrant was issued to search Keen’s flat on the same day that officials discovered the LeBaron. According to the sheriff’s records, they discovered orange strands on items inside her residence that resembled clown wig fibers.

Authorities discovered that Mike Warren and Sheila Keen had married in 2002 and relocated to Tennessee while the inquiry progressed. Employees and neighbors of the couple, who owned a burger shop named “Purple Cow,” revealed to “48 Hours” that Keen had switched her last name from Keen to Warren while maintaining her previous initial name of “Debbie.”

27 years after Marlene Warren was killed, on September 26, 2017, Keen-Warren was taken into custody on first-degree murder charges.

Authorities discovered that Mike Warren and Sheila Keen had married in 2002 and relocated to Tennessee while the inquiry progressed. Employees and neighbors of the couple, who owned a burger shop named the “Purple Cow,” revealed to “48 Hours” that Keen had switched her last name from Keen to Warren while maintaining her previous initial name of “Debbie.”
27 years after Marlene Warren was killed, on September 26, 2017, Keen-Warren was taken into custody on first-degree murder charges.

The Plea Deal

It is known that justice moves slowly, and in the case of Marlene Warren’s murder, this motion frequently appeared to cease. Sheila Keen-Warren’s trial keeps getting postponed after a 27-year wait for an arrest. She had served five years in prison by 2022, and her trial had been delayed six times.

Greg Rosenfeld, the defense attorney, was likewise sifting through the available data. Additionally, he claims that the state’s lack of cooperation contributed to the delays.

Two weeks before the start of Keen-Warren’s murder trial for Marlene Warren, on April 25, 2023, there was still another unexpected development: a plea agreement was negotiated.

Keen-Warren, whose case had previously been considered for the death penalty and life in prison, would now enter a guilty plea to second-degree murder and receive a 12-year jail term. According to sentence rules for time served, she should be freed in 2025, maybe earlier.