A Florida woman has finally pleaded guilty to murdering her husband’s previous wife in May 1990, though she still denies actually committing the crime. Sheila Keen-Warren, 59, is said to have shot and killed Marlene Warren at her West Palm Beach home while dressed as a clown, as her son and his friends ate breakfast inside the house, NBC-2 reports.
Sheila Keen-Warren’s alleged crimes were intentional and planned.
The morning of Marlene Warren’s death, she answered her door to someone dressed as a clown. The clown was holding two balloons and a flower arrangement and handed the gifts over before pulling out a gun and shooting Marlene in the face, per authorities.
While Marlene did not die immediately, her injuries proved fatal and she passed away in the hospital two days later.
It took 27 years for police to arrest Keen-Warren.
After Marlene’s death, Sheila Keen-Warren went on to marry Marlene’s widowed husband. At the time of the murder, rumors of an affair between the pair were rife, but they denied it. However, in 2017, police finally caught up to her and she was arrested for the murder.
She has always denied the killing, but eventually withdrew her not guilty plea and instead legally admitted to the crime. However, her attorneys still insist the admission is only a technicality and that Sheila Keen-Warren is innocent.
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A plea deal means Keen-Warren won’t spend that long in prison.
As part of a plea deal reached with prosecutors, Keen-Warren was sentenced to 12 years behind bars, with time served for the six years she’s been imprisoned since her arrest. Marlene Warren’s son approved of the deal.
“After years of professing her innocence, Sheila Keen Warren has finally been forced to admit that she was the one who dressed as a clown and took the life of an innocent victim,” State Attorney for Palm Beach County Dave Aronberg said in statement.
Keen-Warren reiterated his client’s innocence but admitted taking the plea deal was the smartest way forward due to the unpredictable nature of jury trials.
“This woman should never have been arrested or prosecuted. She was looking forward to her day in court,” said attorney Greg Rosenfeld.
