Saturday State News Briefs: Sebena to undergo mental evaluation

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WAUWATOSA - Accused killer Benjamin Sebena will undergo a mental evaluation by a court-appointed forensic psychiatrist after changing his plea to not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.

Sebena is charged with killing his wife last Christmas Eve while she was on duty as a police officer. She was shot five times in the head. The Iraq War veteran entered the plea change Friday in Milwaukee County Court. He reportedly told investigators he had been stalking his wife when he ambushed her as she left a Wauwatosa fire station. He said he was jealous. Sebena’s trial is set to begin July 8th.

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Governor Scott Walker says he is glad the John Doe investigation is over, saying he doesn’t feel he owes anyone an apology. Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm announced yesterday the secret probe had ended February 20th. No charges were ever filed against Walker who had repeatedly denied he had done anything wrong. Six people were charged with crimes originating in their activities in the Milwaukee County Executive’s office while Walker held that position. The investigation into illegal campaign activity started in May 2010 and lasted almost three years. More details came out this yesterday about the John Doe investigation into Governor Scott Walker’s former Milwaukee County aides. Judge Neal Nettesheim declared the nearly three-year-old investigation over. That was after four Walker aides and associates were convicted of embezzlement and illegal campaigning – and a domestic partner of one of the defendants was found to have committed a non-related sex crime. The aides all served under Walker when he was the Milwaukee County executive, before he was became the governor in 2011. Nettesheim said the John Doe focused on three issues – illegal campaign contributions made to Walker by employees of the Wisconsin-and-Southern Railroad – the theft of thousands-of-dollars raised at annual county event for veterans – and illegal political activity by Walker’s county staff, especially while he was away running for governor in 2010. Other areas were reported to be involved, such as at least one county land deal.

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A former Catholic priest convicted of molesting two boys in Oshkosh 20 years ago could win back at least some of his freedom this summer. Prosecutors and the defense have agreed that 74-year-old Norbert Maday should get a supervised release from the Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center in Mauston. Maday served 13 years in prison from his crimes – and after that, a judge deemed him as a sexual predator. So he remained held for treatment until it could be determined that he’s no longer a risk to himself or the community. Winnebago County Circuit Judge Daniel Bissett agreed with that finding, and the details of a supervised release will be determined at Maday’s next court proceeding on June fourth. Maday petitioned for his release. Prosecutor Kevin Greene said he negotiated a supervised release to prevent Maday from the possibility of getting unmonitored freedom. Greene tells WLUK-TV in Green Bay that authorities would use GPS monitoring to keep tabs on Maday – and he’d have to follow other conditions as well.

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Folks on Facebook are being urged to dial 112 for an emergency instead of the traditional 911. But a Wisconsin law enforcement agency says it does not get authorities to respond faster, despite what some people claim. 112 is Europe’s emergency number. The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department issued a statement today that when somebody calls 112 from the U.S. and Canada, the call is actually slowed down. That’s because it’s converted to 911 before the dispatcher picks it up. And in many situations, the speed of an emergency call can actually save a life. Kenosha officials say we should keep using 911. And we should test the 112 number either, because it might prevent dispatchers from getting fast calls for real emergencies.

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He asked his taxi cab driver for marital advice. Police reports released yesterday indicate Radcliffe Haughton told cab driver Jesse Thomas he suspected his wife was cheating on him and he was carrying a gun. Haughton shot his estranged wife and six others before killing himself last October 21st. Thomas told police he told Haughton he shouldn’t do anything about his suspicions because it “wasn’t worth it.” Haughton killed 42 year old Zina Haughton and two others at Azana Salon and Spa in Brookfield that day. The cab driver says the shooter was shaking so badly when he got out he tore a 20 dollar bill he was offering as a tip.

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