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Florida’s convicted killer clown released from prison for the murder of her husband’s then-wife
A woman who pleaded guilty to dressing as a clown and in 1990 murdering the wife of a man she later married was released from prison Saturday, ending a case that has been strange even by Florida standards.
Sheila Keen-Warren, 61, was released 18 months after she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the shooting of Marlene Warren, Florida Department of Corrections records show. The plea deal came shortly before her trial would have started.
Keen-Warren, who has maintained her innocence even after her plea, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. But she had been in custody for seven years since her arrest in 2017, and Florida’s law in 1990 allowed significant credit for good behavior. It had been expected she would be released in about two years.
“Sheila Keen-Warren will always be an admitted convicted murderer and will wear that stain for every day for the rest of her life,” Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg said in a statement Saturday.
Greg Rosenfeld, Keen-Warren’s attorney, has said she only took the plea deal because she would be released in less than two years and had been facing a life sentence if convicted at trial.
“We are absolutely thrilled that Ms. Keen-Warren has been released from prison and is returning to her family. As we’ve stated from the beginning, she did not commit this crime,” he said Saturday in a text message.
Marlene Warren’s son, Joseph Ahrens, and his friends were at home when they said a person dressed as a clown rang the door bell. He said that when his mom answered, the clown handed her some balloons. After she responded, “How nice,” the clown pulled a gun and shot her in the face before fleeing.
Palm Beach County sheriff’s investigators had long suspected Keen-Warren in the slaying, but she wasn’t arrested until 27 years later when they said improved DNA testing tied her to evidence found in the getaway car. Rosenfeld has called that evidence weak.
At the time of the shooting, Keen-Warren was an employee of Marlene Warren’s husband, Michael, at his used car lot. Since 2002, she has been his wife — they eventually moved to Abington, Virginia, where they ran a restaurant just across the Tennessee border.
Witnesses told investigators in 1990 that the then-Sheila Keen and Michael Warren were having an affair, though both denied it.
Over the years, detectives said, costume shop employees identified Sheila Warren as the woman who had bought a clown suit a few days before the killing.
And one of the two balloons — a silver one that read, “You’re the Greatest” — was sold at only one store, a Publix supermarket near Keen-Warren’s home. Employees told detectives a woman who looked like Keen-Warren had bought the balloons an hour before the shooting.
The presumed getaway car was found abandoned with orange, hair-like fibers inside. The white Chrysler convertible had been reported stolen from Michael Warren’s car lot a month before the shooting. Keen-Warren and her then-husband repossessed cars for him.
Relatives told The Palm Beach Post in 2000 that Marlene Warren, who was 40 when she died, suspected her husband was having an affair and wanted to leave him. But the car lot and other properties were in her name, and she feared what might happen if she did.
She allegedly told her mother, “If anything happens to me, Mike done it.” He has never been charged and has denied involvement.
But Rosenfeld said last year that the state’s case was falling apart. One DNA sample somehow showed both male and female genes, he said, and the other could have come from one out of every 20 women.
And even if that hair did come from Keen-Warren, it could have been deposited before the car was reported stolen. He said Marlene Warren’s son and another witness also told detectives that the car deputies found wasn’t the killer’s, though investigators insisted it was.
Aronberg last year conceded that there were holes in the case, saying they were caused by the three decades it took to get it to trial, including the death of key witnesses.
Michael Warren was convicted in 1994 of grand theft, racketeering and odometer tampering. He served almost four years in prison — a punishment his then-attorneys said was disproportionately long because of suspicions he was involved in his wife’s death.
He did not respond to a phone message left for him Saturday.
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Is it ever OK to ignore credit card debt collectors?
With credit card interest rates sitting at historically high levels right now, millions of cardholders are struggling to pay off what they owe. After all, as the compounding interest charges rack up, it’s easy for even a small card balance to balloon quickly. As a result, about 9% of cardholders are now delinquent on their credit card payments, meaning that they’re facing late fees, increased interest rates and other repercussions.
If a credit card balance goes unpaid for an extended period, the card issuer may deem it uncollectible. At this stage, the debt is typically sold to a debt collection agency, which purchases it for a fraction of the original balance. This agency then becomes responsible for attempting to recover the debt by using tactics like frequent calls, letters and even legal action. These aggressive and persistent tactics can add a significant amount of stress to an already tough situation.
For many people, facing debt collectors feels intimidating, which can lead to them ignoring their attempts to collect, hoping the issue might disappear. But is ignoring a debt collector a good idea, or could it make matters worse?
Take action and tackle your credit card debt today.
Is it ever OK to ignore credit card debt collectors?
Ignoring credit card debt collectors is generally not a good idea. Debt collectors have a legal right to try to recover the debt, and ignoring their calls and letters doesn’t make the debt go away. It often leads to even more aggressive collection efforts, including lawsuits, which could result in a court judgment against you. This judgment can allow collectors to garnish your wages or seize other assets, creating even more financial pressure.
However, there are a few scenarios where you might consider holding off on engaging a debt collector or taking a different approach to protect yourself. For example, one situation where ignoring a debt collector could be strategically beneficial is when the debt is “time-barred.” Each state has a statute of limitations on debt collection, typically ranging from three to 10 years, though it can be longer in some states.
If a credit card debt is past this time frame, collectors can no longer sue you to collect it. However, if you acknowledge the debt, promise to pay or even make a partial payment, you may restart the clock on the statute of limitations, allowing them to pursue legal action again. If you suspect a debt is time-barred, it’s wise to confirm your state’s statute of limitations period and carefully assess your options before engaging with a collector.
If you believe a debt is incorrect or doesn’t belong to you, it’s also important to validate it before responding. In some cases, debt collectors will pursue debts that are inaccurate, double-counted or outdated. In these cases, you have the right to request written verification within 30 days of their initial contact. Requesting verification can help you confirm whether the debt is legitimate, but ignoring a debt you don’t recognize can lead to ongoing collection efforts.
Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), you also have the right to limit when and how a collector contacts you. You can send a letter requesting that the collector only communicate in writing or stop contacting you entirely. Be aware, though, that this won’t erase the debt. However, it can give you some breathing room and help you focus on finding a solution.
Start comparing your debt relief options here.
How to deal with credit card debt that’s in collections
If your credit card debt is in collections, you have several options to help you resolve it. First, consider negotiating with the debt collector, either on your own or by enrolling in a debt forgiveness program. After all, many collections agencies are open to settling debts for less than the full amount owed, especially if they acquired the debt for a lower price, so taking this approach could result in serious savings.
Other types of debt relief programs may also be worth considering. Debt consolidation programs, for example, can help you combine your debts into a single monthly payment, often at a lower interest rate. A debt management plan is another option, and enrolling in one could help you secure lower monthly payments by negotiating reduced interest rates with your creditors.
Another strategy for handling debt is filing for bankruptcy, which can sometimes provide relief from overwhelming debt — but it also comes with long-term consequences for your credit. As a result, bankruptcy should generally be considered a last resort, but if your debts are too high to pay off, it could be an option to weigh.
The bottom line
While the temptation to ignore credit card debt collectors is understandable, doing so rarely solves the problem. Ignoring debt collectors can lead to escalating issues, including potential lawsuits or further damage to your credit. In some cases, such as with time-barred debts, non-engagement might make sense to avoid accidentally reviving a collector’s legal claim. However, managing debt through negotiation, debt relief programs or other options is typically a more effective long-term solution.
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