Killer clown: Meet the key players in the trial of woman accused of murdering Marlene Warren
WEST PALM BEACH — The first-degree murder trial of Sheila Keen-Warren, the woman accused of dressing as a clown and killing her lover's wife, Marlene Warren, in 1990, is almost underway.
It's been five years since deputies arrested Keen-Warren for allegedly committing Wellington's most notorious crime, though a slew of logistical problems delayed the trial from its original start date in early 2020. It took months to track down witnesses, many of whom are ailing or long gone from Palm Beach County. Others turned out to be dead.
The case has changed hands a number of times since then — neither the original judge, defense attorney nor prosecutor remain. Those left in their stead will work to convince jurors of Keen-Warren's guilt or innocence in the trial scheduled to begin Oct. 21.
Here is a rundown of the key figures in the courtroom.
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Sheila Keen-Warren: The defendant
In 1990, 27-year-old Sheila Keen worked for the victim's husband, Michael Warren, repossessing cars in West Palm Beach. She and Michael were rumored to be romantically involved.
Keen married Michael Warren 12 years after the shooting. The couple moved to Virginia, where Keen-Warren started a new life under the alias "Debbie." She and Warren managed a small drive-through restaurant in Kingsport, Tennessee, called the Purple Cow.
In 2017, new DNA evidence from a strand of hair linked Keen-Warren to the decades-old murder, investigators said. She was indicted for first-degree murder in 2017 and has awaited trial in the Palm Beach County Jail ever since. Keen-Warren pleaded not guilty to the crime.
Scott Suskauer: The judge
Circuit Judge Scott Suskauer took over the Wellington clown murder case from retired Circuit Judge Joseph Marx in 2021.
Former Gov. Rick Scott appointed Suskauer to the Circuit Court in 2015. Prior to that, Suskauer was a private defense attorney alongside his wife and former Florida Bar President, Michelle Suskauer. He also served as a Palm Beach County public defender.
He received a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University and a J.D. from the University of Miami.
Reid Scott: The prosecutor
Reid Scott, chief of homicide for the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office, replaced Brian Fernandes as lead prosecutor following Fernandes' removal as chief assistant state attorney for Palm Beach County in 2018. He is not seeking the death penalty in this case.
Scott has drawn criticism from Keen-Warren's attorneys for sending evidence for testing at the last minute, and for withholding information that would have allowed them to interview Edward Bahr, a man who allegedly confessed to killing Warren.
Scott, a 2006 Stetson University College of Law graduate, denied having any obligation to tell Keen-Warren's attorneys about his conversation with Bahr.
Amy Morse and Greg Rosenfeld: Defense attorneys
Greg Rosenfeld and Amy Morse are private attorneys representing Keen-Warren. A third attorney, Richard Lubin, was once a part of the defense team, although health complications caused him to drop the case in August.
Morse received her J.D. from New York Law School in 2000 and specializes in criminal and health care law. Rosenfeld graduated from the Roger Williams University School of Law in 2011.
Rosenfeld was an assistant public defender in Palm Beach County and is the president of the Palm Beach Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
In 2017, Rosenfeld represented Dalia Dippolito of Boynton Beach who was dubbed the "murderous madam" for trying to hire an undercover cop to kill her husband.
Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Killer clown: Key players in the murder trial of Marlene Warren
