UPDATED: Benjamin Sebena Charged with Homicide of Police Officer Wife

MILWAUKEE, WI -- Benjamin Sebena, the husband of slain police officer Jennifer Sebena, was charged Thursday afternoon in a brazen Christmas Eve morning attack as she was on patrol. 

The Milwaukee County District Attorney charged Benjamin Sebena with first-degree intentional homicide in the shooting death of his 30-year-old wife, who was struck by multiple gunshots early Monday morning in the parking lot of the Wauwatosa Fire Station 1. 

At a court appearance Thursday afternoon, bail was set at $1 million cash for Sebena. Assistant District Attorney Mark Williams told the court that Sebena had admitted to police that he committed the crime.

Jennifer Sebena was found dead at 4:38 a.m. by a fellow officer on the north side of the fire station. 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. 

The department and the state Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) announced at 7:35 a.m.  Thursday that Benjamin Sebena of Menomonee Falls was booked Wednesday night into the Milwaukee County Jail and is being held on suspicion of the Christmas Eve murder of Wauwatosa police officer Jennifer L. Sebena.

Sebena was taken into custody some time Christmas Day and was transferred that night to the West Allis Police Department after questioning. Today's TMJ4 cites unnamed sources in reporting that Ben Sebena confessed to authorities that he killed his wife.

According to the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial website, Sebena is the first Wauwatosa officer to be killed in the line of duty in the 96-year history of the department. Officer Abby Pavlik was shot and seriously wounded during a robbery investigation on Dec. 13, 2009. Pavlik recovered from her injuries.

Jennifer Sebena's funeral will be Saturday at Elmbrook Church, 777 S. Barker Rd., Brookfield. Visitation at the church will be from 9 a.m. to noon, with the service immediately following.

Interment will then be at Wisconsin Memorial Park, 13235 W. Capitol Dr., Brookfield. All agencies participating in the squad procession to Wisconsin Memorial Park will assemble at Elmbrook Church by noon.

The Wauwatosa Police Department thanked the following agencies for their assistance in this investigation: the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department, the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office Investigators, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Milwaukee Police Department and the West Allis Police Department.