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The Irish Sun
26-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
Killer clown slaughtered my mum while I ate breakfast… how beast was snared decades later by sick token left on doorstep
WHEN Marlene Warren's doorbell rang one Saturday morning in May 1990, it sounded the beginnings of a blood-soaked nightmare that would haunt her family forever. Outside stood a most bizarre sight: a clown, dressed in a colourful jumpsuit, with an orange wig and big, black shoes. But this was to be no celebration. Advertisement 17 Joe Ahrens was 21 years old when his mother, Marlene Warren, was murdered in 1990 Credit: CBS/ 48 HOURS 17 Marlene and husband Michael had been together for 20 years Credit: facebook 17 After shooting Marlene in the mouth, the sick killer left two balloons and a basket of flowers on the doorstep Credit: getty 17 Paramedics rushed Marlene to an ambulance after she was shot Credit: getty It was holding two balloons - one with a picture of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on it, another that read You're the Greatest - along with a basket of red and white flowers. Advertisement 'Oh, how pretty,' Marlene said as she opened the door. Seconds later, there was a loud bang. Marlene's son Joe Ahrens says: 'It echoed through the house. It seemed like slow motion. It happened so fast. It was wild. It was like another world.' Marlene, 40, had been shot through the mouth at their home in Wellington Aero Club, Florida - an affluent Just moments before she'd been whipping up a breakfast of eggs and toast for Joe, who was 21 at the time, and three pals. Advertisement Joe says: 'Blood was coming out of her mouth, and she was gurgling. It was terrible - the worst day of my life.' As if that wasn't sickening enough, the clown left the gifts before casually driving off in a white Chrysler LeBaron car parked outside. Joe says: 'After the clown shot my mother they put the flowers down. 'The clown had thick white paint - you couldn't see its skin. I tried. It had a jumpsuit on, a colourful orange wig and black boot shoes… When they got to the car, they looked around. I saw some big brown eyes.' The Killer Clown: Murder On The Doorstep, Sundance Speaking about his ordeal in a new Sky documentary series called Murder On The Doorstep: The Killer Clown , he adds: 'All I could think of was to chase that vehicle. I jumped into the car, just driving like a maniac.' Advertisement It was too late. The clown was gone. Marlene was rushed to Palms West Within days, her family made the devastating decision to turn off her life support machine. Joe says: 'It was hell. I kind of knew myself after the third day that we were going to lose my mother, and it was horrible. She was the best person ever. When I lost her, I lost a big part of me.' Police, now investigating this most bizarre of Advertisement 17 Marlene had a turbulent relationship with her then husband, Michael Warren Credit: CBS/ 48 HOURS 17 Joe tells his devastating story in a new documentary series Credit: CBS/ 48 HOURS 17 The family lived in an affluent area, best known for having its own landing strip Credit: Flicker Productions Ltd © Michael, who was 38, had a solid alibi: he'd been travelling with friends to a horse race in Miami when Marlene had been shot. He appeared to be grief-stricken. Advertisement In taped 'We always got along well. You always have your ups and downs but you know, we've been together 20 years.' But it soon became clear to investigators that Marlene was in a turbulent relationship and actually feared her husband. According to Joe, Marlene intended to leave Michael just days before her death. She'd threatened to leave him, and he'd threatened to kill her Debra Hoisington In June 1990, Marlene's sister, Debra Hoisington, claimed: 'About a year ago, she called me and she said that he beat her up and she'd threatened to leave him, and he'd threatened to kill her.' Advertisement Marlene's step-sister Jamie Twing also told police: 'She just kept telling me, if anything happens to me, get Joey out of the house.' With Marlene out of the picture, Michael now stood to inherit a small fortune from their lucrative family business. He and Marlene had jointly owned a cut-price, car rental business called Bargain Motors which often leased cars to shady characters, according to employees. With the profits, the couple had bought several properties worth over $1million - a huge sum for the time. Michael even owned a plane and a racehorse. Police also spoke to attorney Christopher DeSantis who'd represented the family in an unrelated case. Advertisement In a chilling twist, the attorney told how, in April 1989, he'd had a strange conversation with Michael after he'd asked: 'Can a husband inherit from his wife if he murdered her?' DeSantis told him no, unless, he joked, the killer couldn't be identified because he was dressed like a clown. DeSantis now believes that his flippant comment in some way led to Marlene's death. Killer clown revealed 17 While married to Marlene, Michael had an affair with work colleague Sheila Keen (pictured) Credit: Broward County Sheriff's Office 17 Sheila was known for dressing up as clowns Credit: 15th Judicial Circuit Court Advertisement 17 17 The white LeBaron car was found eight miles from Marlene's home Credit: getty Police were also tipped off that Mike had been having an affair with an employee called Sheila Keen. She denied the relationship. But investigators discovered that just two days before the murder, on May 24, 1990, a woman matching her description bought a clown costume from a store called Spotlight Capezio. The owner later identified Sheila as the buyer. Then the LeBaron car was found dumped at a Advertisement Hair and fibres inside matched those found on clown outfits - and were traced back to Bargain Motors. Yet for all the circumstantial evidence linking Sheila to the crime, there was no concrete forensic evidence to prove her guilt. The case stalled and the mystery surrounding Marlene's murder remained. The clown outfit or weapon were never found. Michael Warren was arrested in October 1990 - but for 66 Advertisement Michael Warren took everything. Mike ruined my life Joe Ahrens He was later sentenced to nine years in prison but served less than three. After his 1997 release, Joe spoke to his step-dad for the last time. Joe says: 'When Mike got out of prison, it was a short phone call, but he called me just to say, 'have a good life',' he says. 'It was just sickening to me. I tried to trace it to find out where he was at, but I never did.' After Marlene's death, Michael had promised to share the inheritance money with Joe. Yet Joe never saw a penny of it. Joe says: 'Michael Warren took everything. Mike ruined my life. I had abandonment issues, alcohol issues… Advertisement "Mike's arrest made me feel glad that we did get something, but to not get total justice for my mother - this is not justice to me. "It really eats me up inside, but I didn't let it kill me.' For years, the case was forgotten 17 Joe tried to move on with life, moving over 1,300 miles away to Iowa Credit: Flicker Productions Ltd © 17 In 2014, Marlene's murder case was reopened thanks to funding and advancements in forensic science Credit: AP 17 Lab technicians revisited the old evidence, including the balloons the clown left Credit: Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Advertisement Joe tried to move on with his life, moving over 1,300 miles away to Iowa. It wasn't until 2014, 24 years after Marlene's murder, that, remarkably, the case was reopened thanks to a cold case funding grant and advancements in forensic science. This time, a lab technician was able to go back over the original evidence from the case - including the balloons the clown had left - and was able to match fibres recovered from the crime scene to Sheila. For prosecutors, it was the missing link that finally tied everything together. It didn't take too much digging for detectives to stumble across more surprising news, either. Advertisement They discovered that Michael and Sheila had married in Las Vegas in 2002 - 12 years after Marlene's death. Sheila had changed her name to 'Debbie', and the pair had moved to Abingdon, Virginia. They were running a diner called The Purple Cow , just over the state line in Kingsport, Tennessee. One former worker even told police that 'Debbie' had once dressed up as a spooky clown for Halloween From death penalty to plea deal 17 In 2017, Sheila Keen-Warren was arrested Credit: Washington County Sheriff's Dept Advertisement 17 Sheila was extradited to Florida, where she potentially faced the death penalty Credit: getty In September 2017, 27-and-a-half years after Marlene's murder, Sheila was arrested for first-degree murder. After she was extradited to Florida, where she potentially faced the death penalty, she pleaded not guilty. 'I didn't do it, so that's it,' she said in police interviews, while refusing to answer any questions. In recorded jailhouse calls between Michael and Sheila, which air in the documentary, Sheila also tells an emotional Michael after her arrest:. 'I'm alright. I'm fine. Quit crying.' Advertisement While Michael, who has always protested his innocence, replies: 'You didn't do nothing. Don't worry about nothing.' Joe moved from Iowa back to Florida expecting a quick trial. Instead, the case began to fall apart. The one person that did not pay for this crime is Michael Warren. He didn't do one day of jail Joe Ahrens Sheila's defence team argued that over the decades, the evidence bags had been opened and examined so many times that the forensic material inside them could no longer be considered reliable. Fearing the whole trial could collapse, prosecutors offered Sheila a plea bargain which, after years in prison awaiting trial, she accepted. In April 2023, she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Advertisement She was sentenced to 12 years - but under 1990 Florida law, and with nearly seven years already served since her arrest in 2017, she was freed just 18 months later, in May 2023. Sheila, 61, moved back in with Michael. For Joe, the thought of Sheila getting out was 'overwhelming' but he admits: 'There was a bit of justice for my mother because we did get the killer.' He has felt the most anger towards his step-dad, who he still believes had his part to play in the murder, despite no charges ever being brought and Michael's denials. 17 Marlene was 40 years old when she was brutally murdered on her doorstep Advertisement Joe says: 'The one person that did not pay for this crime is Michael Warren. He didn't do one day of jail. 'But really I have to let go. I have to let it go.' Instead, Joe, now a dad himself, carries his mother's spirit with him everyday. He says: 'I know she would be very proud of me today, because I'm proud of myself. 'You know, if I'm in a situation, I always think, 'what would mum do?'. Advertisement 'My son is at the age that I was at when I lost my mum. I want my son to grow up knowing his grandmother still lives within me, and I want him to see that through me.' Murder On The Doorstep: The Killer Clown is available now on Now TV
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
True crime clown murder: Wellington woman shot to death by husband's girlfriend 35 years ago
Marlene Warren's killing in 1990 is part of a True Crime series by The Palm Beach Post. Victim: Marlene Warren, 40 Killer: Sheila Keen-Warren, age 27 at the time of the slaying Where: Wellington Date: May 26, 1990 'Oh, how sweet,' Marlene Warren said that Saturday morning in May 1990 when she saw a clown with flowers and balloons at the front door of her Wellington home. That was the last thing Warren, 40, said as she opened the door and was shot pointblank in the face by the clown, who was wearing an orange wig, red nose and a painted-on happy face. Her 21-year-old son, Joey Ahrens, ran to her as she collapsed in the doorway and looked the clown in the eye — deep brown eyes, he remembers. The killer sauntered away, climbed into a white Chrysler LeBaron that had no license plate and drove away. Marlene died two days later at Palms West Hospital in Loxahatchee. The crime occurred 35 years ago on May 26. A three-part documentary on the case called "Killer Clown: Murder on the Doorstep" is set to air June 5 on SundanceTV, AMC+ and Sundance Now. Her husband, Michael, managed their car lot, Bargain Motors, on North Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach. Marlene had taken care of the couple's rental properties, worth about $1 million at the time. They had been married 20 years. The Warrens lived in the exclusive community called Aero Club in Wellington where homes had an air strip nearby to land personal aircraft and hangars in the backyards. The woman who was to become Michael Warren's second wife, Sheila Keen-Warren, pleaded guilty to being the clown at the door, agreeing to a plea deal for second-degree murder in 2023. Because of sentencing laws in 1990 and the 5½ years she spent in the Palm Beach County jail because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was released in November 2024 after serving about 18 months in prison. Keen-Warren had been arrested in 2017 near her home in Virginia after investigators cited new evidence linking her to the crime. The balloons Sheila Keen brought came from the Publix at the corner of Community Drive and Military Trail in West Palm Beach, according to police. It was the only Publix that sold that brand of Mylar balloons — one of which was heart-shaped and read "You're the Greatest" and the other depicting Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. The Publix was only a half mile from Sheila Keen's apartment. The flowers, left just outside the front door after the shooting, were red and white carnations arranged in a basket. Four days after the shooting, the LeBaron was found in a Winn-Dixie parking lot at Okeechobee and Royal Palm Beach boulevards. Neither the costume nor the gun was ever found. Keen-Warren was a suspect soon after the shooting. The 27-year-old was married at the time but was rumored to be having an affair with Michael Warren, who washer boss at Bargain Motors. Keen and her then-husband, Richard, were running a car repo business when Michael Warren hired them in 1990 — five months before Marlene was killed. Marlene Warren reportedly told family that if anything happened to her, it was her husband who did it. Michael Warren was on his way to Calder Race Track in Miami Gardens when the clown came to Marlene's door. A year before, Michael Warren was at the Palm Beach County courthouse, walking out of a courtroom with attorney Christopher Desantis when he asked the lawyer a question. If a husband were to kill his wife, what would happen to her estate? "My first impression was, 'Is this guy nuts?' because why would you ask that question with your wife there?" Desantis told police in 1991. "Then I took a look around, and his wife wasn't there." Desantis had been representing Marlene's son in a 1986 assault case and Marlene talked to Desantis frequently. Desantis said he always thought there were no problems in the Warrens' marriage. The attorney said he figured the question was a curiosity, like a law school question. In this case, Florida law was "peculiar," Desantis told Michael Warren. "What I said to him is. 'It really isn't an issue of whether a man kills his wife. The question is whether the man is convicted of murdering his wife because if he's convicted of murdering his wife, he wouldn't inherit, but if he were convicted of a lower charge, he would. "Not only that," Desantis went on, "but if he had a friend who did it and they couldn't tie him as an accessory to the friend, he'd get away scot-free." No suspect would be arrested until 27 years after the killing. But Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office detectivesdidn't give up. They followed hundreds of tips, including a "clown coven" in Greenacres. Detectives in 2013 started running DNA tests on the original evidence. It would take three years to get the results. The tests found an identical match on orange hairs inside the LeBaron and those found in her apartment. They also found matches between her hair and hair found in the car. Michael and Shelia Keen-Warren had been married in 2002 and were living in southwest Virginia near the Tennessee line when she was arrested in 2017. They had just sold a restaurant they were running named the Purple Cow in Kingsport, Tenn. They had bought a house worth $600,000 in 2004. Michael Warren has never been arrested in connection with Marlene Warren's death. Attorney Desantis talked again to police around the time Keen-Warren was arrested in 2017. He remembered telling Michael Warren something else: A killer dressed as a clown would likely "get off" because witnesses couldn't tell whether it was a man or a woman. Holly Baltz is the investigations and schools editor at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hbaltz@ Support local investigative journalism. Subscribe today This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida "killer clown" murder: Wellington woman killed 35 years ago
