Benjamin Sebena Waives Preliminary Hearing; Arraignment Set

Benjamin Sebena waived his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday in Milwaukee County Circuit Court in the case of the shooting death of his wife, Wauwatosa Police Officer Jennifer Sebena and was bound over for trial.

In a preliminary hearing, a defendant could challenge the evidence contained in the criminal complaint against him and force police, the medical examiner or other witnesses to testify to the facts presented in it. Benjamin Sebena, in waiving his hearing, agreed to those essential findings.

With that, a judicial court commissioner found probable cause that a crime was committed and bound Sebena over for trial.

Milwaukee County Assistant District Attorney Mark Williams is representing the state, and Sebena's attorney is Michael Steinle.

Sebena again appeared in court, as he did in his charging last Thursday, strapped in a wheelchair and wearing a gown and a protective security vest. This time, he did have to answer questions from the bench, to each of which he replied in a clear but flat voice, "Yes, sir."

Sebena's next scheduled court appearance is an arraignment on Jan. 24, at which time he would be expected to enter a plea to the charges before presiding Judge David Borowski.

Sebena, 30, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the Christmas Eve shooting. He is being held on $1 million cash bail.

Jennifer Sebena was found dead at 4:38 a.m. by a fellow officer on the north side of Wauwatosa Fire Station No. 1 in the Village. According to police, the last contact she had with dispatch was at 3:29 a.m. Some time after that, dispatchers attempted to contact her and she did not respond.

Sebena was questioned at length the same day and arrested on Christmas Day. According to the criminal complaint, he admitted to police that he had stalked his wife for several days and waited hours for her to stop on her shift at the fire station.

In his statement to police, the complaint says, Sebena admitted shooting her twice in the back of the head with a 9mm handgun when she walked out of the station, then using her service pistol to shoot her three more times.

Both guns were found hidden in the basement ceiling of the Sebena home.