Killer Clown Trial

By: CBS 12 News
  • Summary

  • Admissible Evidence is defined as evidence that has been deemed relevant and valid in court. The admissibility of evidence is often determined before a trial begins, in hearings, wherein lawyers make arguments about what the jury will be allowed to see and hear. 


    This podcast centers around a Cold Case in Palm Beach County, Florida. It is reported by Mike Magnoli, Mags, I- Team Chief Investigator for CBS 12 News in West Palm Beach.


    The murder of Marlene Warren, in May 1990, shocked the community of Wellington and remained unsolved for nearly 30 years. Then, in 2017, detectives arrested a woman named Sheila Keen (Warren). Sheila is charged with First Degree Murder with a firearm. She's accused of dressing up in a clown outfit, bringing flowers, balloons, and a gun to the victim's house, then killing her in cold blood. 


    Prosecutors say DNA links her to the crime, and the motive could be the oldest one in the book. Sheila was Marlene Warren's husband's mistress.     


    The first three episodes of this series explain the background, the characters, and the theories about what happened, but stay tuned for May 12th, 2023, when jury selection begins: That's when Admissible Evidence: Killer Clown Trial will drop daily episodes, covering all the court-room drama and intrigue. Sheila says she's innocent.    


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Episodes
  • Episode 4 / Yes sir
    Apr 28 2023

    An unexpected hearing in the courthouse and Sheila's voice is heard for the first time.

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    30 mins
  • Episode 3 / Motion to Dismiss
    Mar 31 2023

    In this episode, we explore other theories about who the killer clown might have been. And we'll hear from the Defense as they are entering a Motion to Dismiss.

    That motion hangs largely on what the Defense calls deceptions and delays, attempted "tactical advantages" from the state.

    Like how the state didn’t turn over evidence it had for years- that was located in, of all places, a box at the State Attorney’s Office. The box contained a folder called "Clown Sightings."

    Lawyers wrote in the motion to the court that evidence "mysteriously appeared five years after Ms. Keen-Warren's arrest and nine days before her [first scheduled] trial."

    The motion claims Keen-Warren needs the information from the file for a fair trial under the 1963 Brady v. Maryland case in which the Supreme Court ruled the prosecution must give the defense all evidence that might exonerate the defendant.

    The defense says the “file contains clown sightings and citizen leads from the day of Marlene Warren's murder...the State maintained it did not have the file for more than three years, and lead detective Paige McCann refused to look."

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    The motion goes further, “the State did not dispute the requested information constituted Brady material but instead claimed without evidence it did not have the information and materials that the Defendant requested, even though the defense provided the court with transcripts from Detective McCann's depositions where she conceded that she did nothing to locate this file." (The word "nothing" was underlined in the motion.)

    “The State’s job is to ensure justice, not to secure a conviction. We’re interested in seeing what other evidence is out there, and we’re going to continue to fight for Ms. Keen-Warren’s freedom,” Attorney Greg Rosenfeld said.



    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    32 mins
  • Episode 2 / Shop Girls
    Mar 31 2023

    Two clerks from the costume shop where prosecutors believe Sheila Keen-Warren bought a jumpsuit, wig, and makeup, testify about their interactions with an odd-ball customer.

    This hearing is part of a marathon of arguments from the defense and prosecution to suppress evidence.

    The jury may not get to hear from the two sales-women, that's up the judge to decide before this trial starts in May.

    The defense says the clown get-up they sold was not what the killer was wearing, but on the question of who bought it, both the clerks picked Sheila Keen Warren out of a photo line-up and pointed to her in court.

    Dinah Rosales and Debra Lee Offord worked at The Spotlight Capezio. They told investigators, late one evening, May of 1990, a woman showed up after closing, they opened the door for her and let her in, she said she needed a clown outfit.

    They helped her pick one out.

    The mystery woman was described by both clerks as being , "not very feminine”, and that's potentially important because Keen-Warren is sometimes described by her familiars as being kind of a Tom-Boy.

    The customer was wearing a denim shirt, jeans and work boots, and she purchased a handful of items, then paid in cash and left, spending approximately 15 minutes in the shop.

    Rosales testified that the customer asked specifically if the face paint she was picking would cover up her whole face or should she buy two containers of it?

    The clown's wig is also an important detail and much this episode explores it.

    Keen Warren's Defense Team points to the eyewitnesses to the actual shooting (Marlene's son and three of his friends)

    They described a bald head with Bozo the Clown handle bars for hair

    Also. They said under the clown clothes, they thought the killer was a man.





    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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    30 mins

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