Man accused of killing Challis woman said he intended to kill himself

RIGBY — The trial of the man accused of shooting a 75-year-old woman in the back of the head moved forward Tuesday as prosecutors attempted to make their case against 53-year-old Mark Wilson.

During the second day of the first-degree murder trial, the debate continued as to whether the killing, which Wilson has admitted too, was a premeditated murder or manslaughter partly due to inebriation.

Prosecutors revealed body camera footage of Wilson’s arrest and initial questioning on March 24, 2018. The Custer County Coroner and the Physician Assistant who responded to the call for an ambulance also testified about what happened the day Patricia (Pat) Brown was killed.

“I just wish I had done me in. I’m ready to die,” Wilson is seen telling Custer County Sgt. Levi Maydole in body camera footage.

Maydole booked Wilson into the Custer County Jail and initially questioned Wilson. When he booked Wilson into the jail he asked Wilson to take a breathalyzer test. Wilson agreed and took the test three times. The first time he blew a .119. The second time he blew too hard and the test didn’t read. The third time he blew a .116 blood alcohol level.

Idaho law prohibits anyone from driving with a blood alcohol level of .08.

Maydole said he did not initially notice signs that Wilson was intoxicated but as the booking process went on he did notice Wilson beginning to slur his words and appear more relaxed.

In the body camera footage, Maydole is heard asking Wilson if he shot Brown.

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“I did,” Wilson said. “I’m guilty.”

When Maydole asked why he shot her, Wilson said he didn’t know. Then went on to talk about how he and Brown had an argument earlier that day. Wilson talked about how frustrated he was that he couldn’t drive anymore because of his eyesight.

“I’ve had trouble all my life. I’ve been an alcoholic all my life. I’ve never had family in my life. I’ve never had anyone to turn to,” Wilson can be heard telling Maydole.

When Maydole asked him about the gun, Wilson told him he borrowed the gun from his neighbor that morning. He said he lied about what he wanted the gun for, telling the neighbor he was going to use it to shoot some cats he was having problems with.

He said his real intention was to use the gun to kill himself.

“That was my whole intention. Honest to God truth. That was my whole intention,” Wilson said.

Then he and Brown had that argument.

He followed Brown down to her home’s basement. He stood about 15 feet behind her and as her back was turned to him he raised the .22 caliber rifle and shot her in the back of the head.

The small bullet pierced the center-right of the back of her skull, traveled through her brain and lodged into the bone around her left eye.

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Custer County Coroner Chad Michael Workman was also an EMT who responded to the call for an ambulance. He described how Brown continued to struggle for breath but blood kept pooling in the back of her throat.

Thomas Daniel Fife is a Physician Assistant at the Challis Area Health Center. He was also in the ambulance that responded to Brown’s home. He testified to the measures they took to keep Brown alive.

He said they worked on Brown for a few minutes at the home to try and stabilize her. They then moved her to the ambulance and transported her to the health center where they continued to work on her until air ambulance paramedics arrived.

Fife said the air ambulance paramedics are better equipped to handle the traumatic wound Brown received. The air ambulance arrived around 4:45 p.m. The paramedics worked to stabilize Brown enough that they could load her into the helicopter. Just as they were placing her on the gurney, her heart stopped.

Little more than two hours after they arrived on the scene, Workman pronounced Brown’s death at 5:50 p.m.

Fife said they tried for half an hour to revive her.

Fife was the last witness the prosecution called Tuesday. The pathologist who performed the autopsy is scheduled to testify Wednesday.

The trial will continue at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Jefferson County.