14 DAY TRIAL // A decorated Marine and Iraq veteran has been charged with the murder of his wife, Wauwatosa Police Officer Jennifer L. Sebena.
Sebena was shot multiple times on Christmas Eve, the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel notes. Benjamin Sebena was brought in police custody on Thursday, December 27.
The couple, both 30 years old, lived in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. Jennifer Sebena previously complained to a co-worker about her husband's abuse. On one occasion, he allegedly threatened to kill her, holding a gun to her head.
She was found outside the Wauwatosa Fire Department station on Underwood Ave., at around 4:28 a.m. The station had tried to locate her before, and started looking for her when she couldn't be reached.
According to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office, she had been shot 5 times, with 2 separate guns. A 9mm was used to inflict wounds to the back of her head, while a .40-caliber was used to shoot her in the face.
Benjamin Sebena called the station at 6:30 a.m., asking for his wife. He was told she had been killed, but did not inquire about the details.
Witnesses heard him saying "How could I do that to her?" after the incident.
As police searched their residence, they encountered the officer's gun stashed away, along with another handgun used in the shooting. Bullet casings matched those recovered at the crime scene, reports say. Two holes had been punched in the drywall.
Benjamin Sebena admitted to waiting for hours for his wife to take a break and exit the firehouse. He had the intent of taking her life, even confessing to shooting her several times so that she wouldn't suffer.
He is accused of first-degree murder with premeditation and use of a dangerous weapon, and is currently being held on a $1 million (€760,000) bond.