A “KILLER CLOWN” claimed the life of Marlene Warren in May 1990, in Palm Beach County, Florida.
The case went unsolved for more than 25 years but in 2023, a plea deal was reached with the killer, who just also happens to be the second wife of her husband, Michael Warren.
Who is Marlene Warren’s husband Michael?
In 1990, Marlene Warren lived in Florida with her husband, Michael Warren.
At the time, Michael ran a used car lot and a rental car agency, which is how he met his second wife, Sheila Keen Warren, who owned a car repo business, according to ABC News.
After Marlene’s death, Michael spent almost four years in prison on unrelated racketeering and odometer tampering charges.
He married Sheila in 2002 and moved to Abingdon, Virginia, to open The Purple Cow, a fast-food restaurant in Kingsport, Tennessee.
At this time, additional details on Michael’s personal life are unclear.
Who killed Marlene Warren?
The case of Marlene’s death quickly went cold but was later reopened in 2014 by Palm Beach County authorities.
In 2017, Sheila was accused of dressing up as a clown and killing Marlene after DNA linked her to the getaway car, per CBS News.
At the time, her husband told 20/20 that she was being “falsely accused.”
“This is very serious and very unfair,” Michael told ABC News.
Despite Michael’s certainty in his wife’s innocence, Sheila, who had been in prison awaiting trial for first-degree murder since 2017, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in April 2023.
“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,” Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg said in a statement, via CBS News.
“She will be a convicted murderer for the rest of her days.”
CBS News reports that the plea deal Sheila agreed to could see her released from prison within a year.
At this time, additional details on Sheila’s case have not been released.
Did Marlene Warren have kids?
Along with leaving behind a husband, Marlene also left behind a son, Joe Ahrens.
Not much is known about Joe’s personal life, but in May 2022, he sat down with WPTV and opened up about his mother’s death.
“I was so shut down inside,” he said. “I wouldn’t talk. I couldn’t talk. But now I am ready.”
Joe was home with his mother and friends on the day of the attack and recalled it being a “regular morning,” but that quickly changed when they heard a knock on the door.
“We were pretty much all together right at the door, and [Marlene] answered it,” he explained.
When Marlene answered the door, she came face to face with a person dressed in a clown costume holding balloons and flowers.
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigators said that the clown then pulled out a gun and shot her twice in the face before “calmly” walking back to their car.
“I was at a loss,” Joe said. “I just felt my heart and soul just get ripped out of my body.
“…My mom was an angel,” he added. “We were best friends…I look at myself and still see her in me, the eyes, the smile.”
Joe speaks on how his mother’s murder going unsolved for years affected him in an episode of 20/20.
The episode is called The Case of the Killer Clown and premiered on ABC on May 5, 2023.
The episode is available to stream on Hulu and will re-air on May 24, 2024.