5 chilling details about Marlene Warren's murder

The murder of Marlene Warren on May 26, 1990, went down as among the most chilling, bizarre cases Florida had ever seen. At around that morning, Marlene was at her Wellington home when a person dressed as a clown came up to her front door, offering a basket of flowers and balloons. In an instant, the clown pulled out a gun and shot Marlene in the head.

Two days later, she died of critical injuries in the hospital. The cold-blooded killing sent shockwaves through the community and led to decades of investigation replete with jolting twists and unnerving revelations. Though an arrest was made 27 years later, Marlene's case never faded from public memory.

Sheila Keen, who was believed to be having an affair with Marlene's husband Michael Warren, was arrested in 2017 after DNA evidence linked her to the crime. The case continues to capture national attention. Married to Evil season 2 premiered on August 25, 2024, on Investigation Discovery, and new episodes are scheduled to air on Sundays at 10 PM (ET).

The following are five chilling details about the murder of Marlene Warren that have shocked and intrigued investigators and the public alike.

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5 shocking details about the murder of Marlene Warren

1) The killer was dressed as a clown

One of the most unsettling factors of the murder of Marlene Warren was that the shooter came to her door completely dressed as a clown. There were white faces with red noses and orange wigs-sporting flowers and balloons. The innocence, if not joyfulness, of a clown was used to mask deadly intent.

The clown reached into their outfit and shot her at close range after she opened the door and made a comment about how pretty the flowers were. Because of the costume that was associated with festivity followed by such a horrific act, it remained engraved in the minds of people when they heard about the case.

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2) A clown costume was purchased just before the murder

Continuing to investigate the murder, authorities discovered that a woman who fit the description of Sheila Keen had purchased a clown costume and the same type of balloons and flowers utilized in the crime. The purchase had been only days before the murder.

Despite such a suspicious connection, Michael Warren's employee Sheila Keen was not immediately arrested. The evidence was circumstantial at the time, and no one could place her at the scene until DNA testing years later brought new life to the case.

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3) Marlene Warren suspected her husband

Perhaps the most crucial detail in this case is that Marlene Warren seemed to fear something like this might happen. According to her son Joe Ahrens, she confided in him that if anything were ever to happen to her, he should suspect his stepfather Michael Warren.

It was reported that their marriage had troubles. Michael, at the time of the murder, was carrying on an affair with Sheila Keen. Many feel after Marlene's death, the affair and possible motives of financial gain were the reasons behind her killing.

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4) DNA evidence linked Sheila Keen to the crime 27 years later

The murder of Marlene Warren had remained unsolved for years. No evidence presented any reason for arrests. In 2017, however, cold case detectives retested evidence from the suspected getaway car used by the clown. The single hair was within the vehicle and was analyzed with modern DNA techniques to match Sheila Keen.

By then, Sheila had married Michael Warren, and the two were leading a new life in Tennessee. This DNA match was a breakthrough, leading to Sheila Keen-Warren's arrest for the murder of Marlene nearly three decades after the crime had been committed.

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5) The clown disguise was used again at a Halloween party

One bizarre detail had stuck with former employees of the restaurant that Sheila Keen-Warren and her husband Michael Warren operated after her arrest. It was that Sheila once dressed up as a clown to attend a Halloween party.

Many found donning the same type of outfit she had worn years earlier while murdering to be cold, and grotesque. Later, a photo of Sheila in that clown makeup emerged, taken at that party, solidifying the correlation of costume to crime.

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Many years later, the murder of Marlene Warren still stands as one of the eeriest and most bizarre crimes. From the shocking use of a clown disguise to crucial DNA evidence nearly 30 years later, this case took a dark turn with chilling details that have tormented those involved.

In 2023, Sheila Keen-Warren pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. The recurrence of this case through media and true crime shows serves to remind the public that, at times, in the search for truth, the outcome can be hauntingly disturbing and unpredictable.