Wilson murder trial continues after day two

Day two of the Mark Charles Wilson trial concluded Tuesday in Jefferson County.

Wilson is the Challis man charged with first-degree murder for shooting and killing Pat Brown on March 24, 2018. He is also charged with the use of a firearm in the murder. Wilson called 911 and admitted shooting Brown in the back of the head right after it happened.

In court Tuesday, Custer County Prosecuting Attorney Justin Oleson showed body camera footage from Custer County Sheriff’s Sgt. Levi Maydole, who took Wilson to the Custer County Sheriff’s Office for booking and questioned him after he shot Brown in the home they shared. In the video, Wilson can be heard saying he’s guilty. He said he and Brown had been arguing recently and there had been a lot of nagging. Wilson said he is legally blind and has no peripheral vision, and was upset after having problems getting health insurance to fix his eyes. Maydole, who was called as a witness, said he could smell alcohol on Wilson. When asked if he was intoxicated, Wilson said he was. When Custer County Sheriff Stuart Lumpkin arrived at Brown’s house after the shooting, Wilson was sitting outside on the porch, drinking a beer. Wilson took a breath test and first blew a .119, then a .116. Wilson also said he has been an alcoholic his whole life.

Wilson said he borrowed the .22 rifle from a neighbor, Charles Thompson, because he wanted to shoot himself and had plans to hang himself. He said he was going to shoot himself in front of Brown. He told the neighbor he was going to use the rifle to shoot cats. In the body camera video, Wilson admitted he lied to Thompson. He still said he doesn’t know for sure why he shot Brown.

One of the witnesses, Danny Fife, the physicians’ assistant at the Challis Area Health Clinic, said Brown was still alive after she was shot and died two hours later at the clinic. Life Flight was called and arrived to help; however, Brown died before she could be taken to a hospital.

The trial continues Wednesday.