Crime & Safety

Sebena Case Likely to Reach 'Resolve' Today

With insanity plea knocked down by psychiatrists' reports, husband of slain Tosa police officer Jen Sebena appears ready to avoid a trial.

Benjamin Sebena will appear in court Wednesday afternoon for a hearing that will "possibly resolve" his case of first-degree intentional homicide in the death of his wife, Wauwatosa Police Officer Jennifer Sebena, according to court records.

The only possible resolution of the whole case at this point – a trial had been scheduled to begin July 8 – would be for Sebena to change his plea, from not guilty by reason of insanity, to guilty or no contest.

Sebena's attorney, Michael Steinle, appeared in court Tuesday to request a new hearing in front of Circuit Judge David Borowski.

On Friday, Steinle and Sebena's defense were delivered two major blows:

One, the psychiatrist retained by them to assess Sebena agreed with a court-appointed doctor that his mental condition did not support a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

And two, Judge Borowski denied a motion by the defense to suppress statements Sebena made to Wauwatosa police detectives before his arrest as well as any evidence discovered as a result of those statements.

Without a doctor's report supporting his case and with all the evidence before them, a jury would hear that Sebena confessed to committing the crime and knew that what he was doing was wrong.

Sebena had, during the morning of Christmas Eve and before his arrest, given consent for police to search his house. That led to the discovery of ammunition of a rare type matching a shell casing found near Jennifer Sebena's body.

Jen Sebena had been shot to death about 3:30 the morning of Dec. 24. She was found just outside the door of Wauwatosa Fire Station No. 1 about an hour later after she failed to respond to a call.

Ben Sebena was placed under arrest shortly after 1 p.m. Dec. 24 and confessed to the crime late Dec. 26. He was charged the next day in Jennifer's murder.

The maximum penalty Ben Sebena can face is life in prison without possibility of parole.


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