Florida’s convicted killer clown launched from jail

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A lady who pleaded responsible to dressing as a clown and in 1990 murdering the spouse of a person she later married was launched from jail Saturday, ending a case that has been unusual even by Florida requirements.

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Sheila Eager-Warren, 61, was launched 18 months after she pleaded responsible to second-degree homicide for the taking pictures of Marlene Warren, Florida Division of Corrections data present. The plea deal got here shortly earlier than her trial would have began.

Eager-Warren, who has maintained her innocence even after her plea, was sentenced to 12 years in jail. However she had been in custody for seven years since her arrest in 2017, and Florida’s legislation in 1990 allowed vital credit score for good conduct. It had been anticipated she could be launched in about two years.

“Sheila Eager-Warren will all the time be an admitted convicted assassin and can put on that stain for on daily basis for the remainder of her life,” Palm Seaside County State Legal professional Dave Aronberg mentioned in an announcement Saturday.

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Greg Rosenfeld, Eager-Warren’s lawyer, has mentioned she solely took the plea deal as a result of she could be launched in lower than two years and had been going through a life sentence if convicted at trial.

“We’re completely thrilled that Ms. Eager-Warren has been launched from jail and is returning to her household. As we’ve said from the start, she didn’t commit this crime,” he mentioned Saturday in a textual content message.

Marlene Warren’s son, Joseph Ahrens, and his pals had been at house once they mentioned an individual dressed as a clown rang the door bell. He mentioned that when his mother answered, the clown handed her some balloons. After she responded, “How good,” the clown pulled a gun and shot her within the face earlier than fleeing.

Palm Seaside County sheriff’s investigators had lengthy suspected Eager-Warren within the slaying, however she wasn’t arrested till 27 years later once they mentioned improved DNA testing tied her to proof discovered within the getaway automotive. Rosenfeld has known as that proof weak.

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On the time of the taking pictures, Eager-Warren was an worker of Marlene Warren’s husband, Michael, at his used automotive lot. Since 2002, she has been his spouse — they ultimately moved to Abington, Virginia, the place they ran a restaurant simply throughout the Tennessee border.

Witnesses advised investigators in 1990 that the then-Sheila Eager and Michael Warren had been having an affair, although each denied it.

Through the years, detectives mentioned, costume store workers recognized Sheila Warren as the lady who had purchased a clown go well with a number of days earlier than the killing.

And one of many two balloons — a silver one which learn, “You’re the Biggest” — was offered at just one retailer, a Publix grocery store close to Eager-Warren’s house. Staff advised detectives a girl who regarded like Eager-Warren had purchased the balloons an hour earlier than the taking pictures.

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The presumed getaway automotive was discovered deserted with orange, hair-like fibers inside. The white Chrysler convertible had been reported stolen from Michael Warren’s automotive lot a month earlier than the taking pictures. Eager-Warren and her then-husband repossessed automobiles for him.

Family members advised The Palm Seaside Publish in 2000 that Marlene Warren, who was 40 when she died, suspected her husband was having an affair and wished to depart him. However the automotive lot and different properties had been in her title, and she or he feared what may occur if she did.

She allegedly advised her mom, “If something occurs to me, Mike finished it.” He has by no means been charged and has denied involvement.

However Rosenfeld mentioned final yr that the state’s case was falling aside. One DNA pattern one way or the other confirmed each female and male genes, he mentioned, and the opposite might have come from one out of each 20 ladies.

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And even when that hair did come from Eager-Warren, it might have been deposited earlier than the automotive was reported stolen. He mentioned Marlene Warren’s son and one other witness additionally advised detectives that the automotive deputies discovered wasn’t the killer’s, although investigators insisted it was.

Aronberg final yr conceded that there have been holes within the case, saying they had been brought on by the three a long time it took to get it to trial, together with the loss of life of key witnesses.

Michael Warren was convicted in 1994 of grand theft, racketeering and odometer tampering. He served nearly 4 years in jail — a punishment his then-attorneys mentioned was disproportionately lengthy due to suspicions he was concerned in his spouse’s loss of life.

He didn’t reply to a telephone message left for him Saturday.

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