Husband charged in killing of Wisconsin officer

 
No Author Published: December 27, 2012    Comment on this article Leave a comment

photo - This undated booking photo provided by the Milwaukee County Sheriffís Department shows Ben Sebena, 30, of Menomonee Falls, Wis. Sebena was charged Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012 with first-degree intentional homicide in the shooting death of his wife, Wauwatosa police officer Jennifer Sebena, 30. (AP Phoito/Milwaukee County Sheriffís Department)
This undated booking photo provided by the Milwaukee County Sheriffís Department shows Ben Sebena, 30, of Menomonee Falls, Wis. Sebena was charged Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012 with first-degree intentional homicide in the shooting death of his wife, Wauwatosa police officer Jennifer Sebena, 30. (AP Phoito/Milwaukee County Sheriffís Department)

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The state Justice Department is assisting in the investigation. Dave Spakowicz, the director of the department's criminal-investigation operations, said authorities are not speculating on a motive.

While at the police station, officers used video equipment to monitor Ben Sebena as he sat in an empty room. A detective heard him talking to himself, saying something to the effect that his wife had been helping him, adding, "How could I do that to her."

Ben Sebena told investigators he had been stalking his wife for a few days. He said he waited a few hours near the fire department where officers often take breaks, and when he saw her squad car he opened fire. He said she reached for her weapon and he took it from her holster, and then shot her repeatedly in the face.

"Benjamin Sebena stated that he wanted to make sure she was dead so she wouldn't suffer," the complaint said.

Ben Sebena served two tours in Iraq with the Marine Corps. He was honorably discharged in 2005 after suffering severe arm and leg injuries in a mortar attack that year. Among the 10 medals or commendations he was awarded were a Purple Heart, a Good Conduct medal and a rifle expert badge.

In a 10-minute video for his church made in 2010, Ben Sebena describes his transformation into a decorated war veteran rediscovered a love of God.

"Before I went in I was pretty much a hippie. I was very laid back but the anger was there — it was just very hidden," he said.

He said he joined the military because he felt unloved and unimportant, and that the Marines helped him centralize the anger, but that the rage persisted even when he returned to the U.S. He said he would ignore red lights and tear down the freeway on his motorcycle at 150 mph.

He also discussed his blossoming relationship with Jennifer, whom he knew from high school and with whom he exchanged emails during his recovery.

"Our love flourished. We became actually infatuated with each other," he said in the video for Elmbrook Church in nearby Brookfield. The church's pastor, Scott Arbeiter, confirmed to The Associated Press that it was Ben Sebena in the video.

Jennifer Sebena's funeral is scheduled for Saturday.

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Associated Press writer Carrie Antlfinger contributed to this report.

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Dinesh Ramde can be reached at dramde(at)ap.org.

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