By RYAN CHRISTNER

rchristner@dailynews.net

OSBORNE -- More insight was given into the prosecution's case against Salina resident Kenneth Eugene Wilson during the conclusion of his preliminary hearing Tuesday in Osborne.

Wilson is charged with the March 25 shooting death Jeffery "Scott" Noel, Portis.

Testifying on the last day were Wilson's wife, Sharon, and Enola McBroom, the wife of Sharon Wilson's cousin Delbert.

According to her testimony, Wilson said that, at some point on March 24 or 25, her husband informed her he was taking a trip to western Kansas and said he would be gone about a week.

Wilson said her husband and cousin often took trips together and would be gone for days at a time.

Recalling the day investigators from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation came to search her home, Wilson said the digital camera that was recovered, which on Monday was identified by Nebraska resident Joel Livgren as the same one that was taken from his home after it had been burglarized the day before Noel's murder, had been brought home one day by her husband, who told her he had purchased it from a flea market.

Wilson also spoke of a lockbox authorities found within her home. Although she kept similar items in the house, Wilson said she did not recognize that box, which was found to contain several pieces of jewelry.

On Monday, Lt. Scott Becker of the Osborne County Sheriff's office testified Nebraska resident Tara Pope and Elinor Fink of Downs personally identified some of the items found in the lockbox.

Several compact discs that had been reported stolen by Tara Pope's husband, Taylor, in March also were taken from Wilson's home during the search.

Sharon Wilson told the court she remembered her husband and Delbert McBroom bringing them home sometime in March or April.

Wilson further testified that, at some point in time, her husband purchased a bluish-gray, four-door sedan from a neighbor. During their initial investigation in March, Osborne County authorities had been searching for a similar vehicle that was seen in the area at the time of Noel's murder.

Indicating a possible motive for the crimes, prosecutors asked Wilson about her family's financial situation at that time. Tearing up, Wilson said times had been a little tough, as seven people had been living in their household and hers was the primary source of income. But she admitted she thought they were doing OK.

During questioning by her husband's attorney, Paul Oller of Hays, Wilson did say she remembered her husband being home when she returned from a night shift at work the morning of March 24 and said he was there when she woke up later in the day.

Wilson's cousin, Enola McBroom, verified Kenneth Wilson and her husband, Delbert, occasionally would take trips together to find jobs or land to purchase.

She said the two men left for a trip the morning of March 25.

Contradicting what Wilson had told his wife, McBroom said the men had planned to visit Missouri that day, later testifying she had picked them up somewhere off Interstate 70 after their car had broken down out of state.

The two women were the last two witnesses called by the prosecution during the proceedings. Oller said the defense would not be using any witnesses for the preliminary hearing.

During the prosecution's closing statements, Kansas Attorney General Steve Six summarized the evidence presented during the two days of testimony -- the items taken from Wilson's home that were identified as stolen goods, identical DNA that had been recovered from Wilson and cigarettes found at the crime scenes and Sharon Wilson's testimony that her husband was going to western Kansas -- and said the manner of Noel's death showed the homicide was a "planned, execution-type killing," supporting the state's charge of premeditated first-degree murder.

Oller conceded there probably was enough evidence to support Wilson's burglary charge but asked Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Thornton to dismiss the other three counts. He believed the prosecution did not meet the necessary burden of proof.

After a 30-minute recess, Judge Thornton showed she did not believe that was the case, ordering Wilson be bound over on all four counts.