Clown Murder Case: Killer Released After Plea Deal

A woman who dressed like a clown and shot her husband's wife back in 1990 has finally walked free. Sheila Keen-Warren, now 61, was released after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. She got a 12-year sentence, but with time already served and good behavior credit, she's out after just 18 months. This case has been a weird one, even by Florida's standards. Keen-Warren maintains her innocence, but her lawyer says she took the plea deal to avoid a life sentence and because she'd be out in under two years. The murder happened when a clown showed up at Marlene Warren's door with balloons. After a brief exchange, the clown shot Marlene in the face and ran off. Keen-Warren was an employee of Marlene's husband, Michael, at his used car lot at the time. They eventually got married, and Keen-Warren was only arrested in 2017 after DNA evidence tied her to the crime scene.

Investigators had long suspected Keen-Warren. They connected her to a clown suit bought days before the murder and a balloon sold near her home. The getaway car, found abandoned, had hair-like fibers inside and was reported stolen from Michael's lot a month earlier. Marlene's son and other witnesses said the car found wasn't the killer's. The DNA evidence also had issues, with one sample showing mixed male and female genes, and another that could match one in 20 women. Despite these holes in the case, Keen-Warren is now free.

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