Detectives Receive True Bill (First Degree Murder) for Clown Murder
On Saturday, May 26, 1990, Marlene Warren was at her residence located at 14570 Takeoff Place in Wellington, along with her 22 year old son, Joseph Ahrens and several of his friends. While finishing breakfast, around 10:45 a.m., they noticed a White Chrysler LeBaron pull into the driveway and a person dressed as a clown exit the vehicle and approach the front door of the residence. The person dressed as the clown was carrying a flower arrangement and two balloons. Marlene answered the front door and as the clown offered the items to her, witnesses heard a gunshot and Marlene fell to the ground. The person dressed as a clown calmly walked back to the LeBaron and drove away. Marlene sustained a gunshot wound to the face and was transported to Palm West Hospital where she died two days later.
During the initial investigation detectives did identify a suspect (Sheila Keen) however, an arrest was never made.
In 2014, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit reopened the homicide investigation. Witnesses were re-contacted and additional DNA analysis was conducted. It was also learned that Sheila Keen had married Michael Warren, Marlene Warren’s husband, in 2002. Both had been living in Tennessee operating a restaurant together. As a result of the investigation, probable cause was established linking Sheila Keen Warren to the murder of Marlene Warren.
On August 31, 2017, this case was presented to a grand jury who issued a true bill for First Degree Murder. An arrest warrant was obtained for Sheila Warren.
On Tuesday, September 26, 2017, Sheila Warren was located in Washington County Virginia and arrested without incident.
PBSO Detectives received assistance from the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office, U.S. Marshal’s Task Force Western District of Virginia, Detectives from the Washington County Virginia Sheriff’s and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations.
PBSO Detectives would like to personally thank Washington County Sheriff Fred Newman for his agencies assistance.
Sheila Warren
Sheila Keen Warren, DOB: 8/06/63 (current photo of suspect).
