Attorneys in Wellington clown murder trial to select a jury in May

Hannah Phillips, Palm Beach Post
·2 min read
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WEST PALM BEACH — As early as May, a jury of 12 could decide whether Sheila Keen-Warren dressed as a clown and killed her lover's wife on her Wellington doorstep in 1990 — or if, like her attorneys have said, prosecutors accused the wrong person.

Sheila Keen-Warren smiles at her defense attorneys as she is brought into court Friday, November 22, 2019 for a pretrial hearing in her first-degree murder case. Keen-Warren is accused of dressing as a clown and fatally shooting her lover?s wife, Marlene Warren, in Wellington in 1990.
Sheila Keen-Warren smiles at her defense attorneys as she is brought into court Friday, November 22, 2019 for a pretrial hearing in her first-degree murder case. Keen-Warren is accused of dressing as a clown and fatally shooting her lover?s wife, Marlene Warren, in Wellington in 1990.

Jury selection for the first-degree murder case is slated to begin May 12, Circuit Judge Scott Suskauer said Thursday. Deputies arrested Keen-Warren in 2017 after prosecutors said they obtained new DNA evidence linking her to the decades-old murder of Marlene Warren. She has remained in the Palm Beach County Jail ever since and has pleaded not guilty to the crime.

Sheila Keen-Warren, known as Debbie in southwest Virginia on the Tennessee border. She was dressed as a clown for one Halloween there.
Sheila Keen-Warren, known as Debbie in southwest Virginia on the Tennessee border. She was dressed as a clown for one Halloween there.

Keen-Warren worked for the victim's husband, Michael Warren, repossessing cars in Palm Beach County at the time of Warren's murder. Years later, she and Michael Warren married and moved to Virginia.

Sheila Keen-Warren's defense: Evidence does not prove woman dressed as clown, killed Wellington mom in 1990

Killer clown: Meet the key players in the trial of woman accused of murdering Marlene Warren

Circuit Judge Scott Suskauer, seen here speaking to to defense attorney Greg Rosenfeld on Oct. 11, says he will consider sanctions against prosecutors for withholding key files in the Sheila Keen-Warren murder trial, as well as placing Keen-Warren on house arrest. She has ben in custody since 2017.
Circuit Judge Scott Suskauer, seen here speaking to to defense attorney Greg Rosenfeld on Oct. 11, says he will consider sanctions against prosecutors for withholding key files in the Sheila Keen-Warren murder trial, as well as placing Keen-Warren on house arrest. She has ben in custody since 2017.

Suskauer gave Assistant State Attorney Reid Scott and Keen-Warren's defense team, Greg Rosenfeld and Amy Morse, until Feb. 15 to file all remaining motions and discovery before the case goes to trial. The attorneys will meet back in the courtroom on March 7 to discuss them.

A slew of logistical problems has delayed the trial several times from its original start date in early 2020, including COVID-19 and belated discoveries by prosecutors and Keen-Warren's attorneys. Tracking down witnesses, many of whom have since moved from Palm Beach County or forgotten key details of the case, delayed the trial further.

Sheila Keen-Warren is arrested in Washington County, Va., in the killing by a clown of Marlene Warren on May 26, 1990. She was living with Marlene's widower, Michael Warren, after they married in 2002.
Sheila Keen-Warren is arrested in Washington County, Va., in the killing by a clown of Marlene Warren on May 26, 1990. She was living with Marlene's widower, Michael Warren, after they married in 2002.

The case has changed hands multiple times in the process — 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 otherwise at trial, which will begin once a jury is selected.

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: Judge: Lawyers in Wellington clown murder trial will select jury in May