Jennifer Lynn Sebena and Benjamin Sebena
By H. Nelson Goodson
June 26, 2013
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - On Wednesday, Benjamin Sebena, 30, pled guilty to killing his wife, Wauwatosa Police Officer Jennifer Lynn Sebena, 30, on Christmas Eve 2012 under a plea agreement to seek parole within 50 to 60 years of his sentence. His sentencing on the case is set for August.
Benjamin had confessed to killing his wife on Christmas Eve. He was charged with first-degree intentional homicide.
A criminal complaint states that Benjamin had waited for almost two hours between 3:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Wauwatosa Fire Station One for his wife on December 24. He spotted her squad nearby the station and when Officer Sebena emerged from her break at the fire station, Benjamin got close and pulled out a 9MM Cal. handgun and shot her twice in the back of the head from a distance. Sebena tried to reach for her service weapon, but Benjamin disarmed her and then shot her three times in the face (head) with her .40 Cal. service handgun. Police confirmed, Sebena was shot five times.
Her body was found outside the fire house at Underwood Avenue around 4:28 a.m. by another officer.
Benjamin told police, he shot Sebena in the head because he wanted to make sure that she was dead and wouldn't suffer. He then took her service weapon, including his gun and hid them in the attic of their residence where authorities later recovered them.
Benjamin actually went to the police station asking about his wife because he was worried. On Christmas Day while being questioned by police, he broke down and was detained after stating, "How could I do that to her." He then confessed to police that he killed her.
Officer Sebena who was seeking a divorce from her husband, on December 6, apparently told another officer that she was a victim of domestic violence when her husband took out a handgun during an argument and then put it to her head, according to the criminal complaint. There is no indication that the officer alerted other officers or the Wauwatosa Police Department (WPD) command about Sebena's abuse by her husband and that she might be in danger. Chief Weber indicated, the domestic abuse was never reported by the officer or Officer Sebena.
Benjamin's outburst resulted from a jealousy rage brought upon his believe that his wife was seeing other men. He admitted of stalking Officer Sebena for days leading to her murder.
The investigation never determine that Officer Sebena was actually cheating on her husband.
Benjamin is a Marine Iraq War Veteran who received a Purple Heart for his injuries during his tour of military service. He served two tours in Iraq and was severely injured.
He met Sebena on MySpace and later married her. Officer Sebena is the first to be killed in the line of duty in the 96 year history of the WPD.
She had served in the WPD for several years and had no children.
Her body was found outside the fire house at Underwood Avenue around 4:28 a.m. by another officer.
Benjamin told police, he shot Sebena in the head because he wanted to make sure that she was dead and wouldn't suffer. He then took her service weapon, including his gun and hid them in the attic of their residence where authorities later recovered them.
Benjamin actually went to the police station asking about his wife because he was worried. On Christmas Day while being questioned by police, he broke down and was detained after stating, "How could I do that to her." He then confessed to police that he killed her.
Officer Sebena who was seeking a divorce from her husband, on December 6, apparently told another officer that she was a victim of domestic violence when her husband took out a handgun during an argument and then put it to her head, according to the criminal complaint. There is no indication that the officer alerted other officers or the Wauwatosa Police Department (WPD) command about Sebena's abuse by her husband and that she might be in danger. Chief Weber indicated, the domestic abuse was never reported by the officer or Officer Sebena.
Benjamin's outburst resulted from a jealousy rage brought upon his believe that his wife was seeing other men. He admitted of stalking Officer Sebena for days leading to her murder.
The investigation never determine that Officer Sebena was actually cheating on her husband.
Benjamin is a Marine Iraq War Veteran who received a Purple Heart for his injuries during his tour of military service. He served two tours in Iraq and was severely injured.
He met Sebena on MySpace and later married her. Officer Sebena is the first to be killed in the line of duty in the 96 year history of the WPD.
She had served in the WPD for several years and had no children.
