Tulsa Woman Bound Over For Trial In High-Rise Death Of Husband

Lori Fullbright, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- A Tulsa County judge has ruled a woman charged with the death of her husband in June should stand trial. 

Amber Hilberling is charged with second degree murder and first degree manslaughter.  She is accused of pushing her husband out of a 25th floor window of the University Club Apartments in June 2011.

Six witnesses testified Wednesday. The first witness was at the Hilberling's apartment to fix a broken window in the bedroom the afternoon of June 17, 2011.

He says both Josh and Amber were angry, and while working he heard a loud crash in the living room. He says Josh was gone and Amber came in screaming, "my husband fell out the window and I pushed him out the window and that I can't believe this is happening."

Another witness was standing across the street when he saw the glass break and Josh come out, head up, feet down, facing away from the window. He saw a woman in the window screaming and saw her run to Josh, roll him over and say, "he's dead, he's dead, he's dead."

A Tulsa firefighter EMS Captain says he tried to tend to her since she was distraught. It was hot and she was pregnant. He heard her say, "I didn't mean to do it, I didn't mean to push him out the window and I don't want to go to jail, I don't want to get in trouble."

A Tulsa police officer says she made several statements, including she'd pushed him into a wall of windows and he fell out" and "why did this happen, I killed Josh, I shouldn't be here" and "I stole his life away and they won't believe what happened." Those statements were a big part of the prosecution's case.

"And her statements were corroborated with evidence, the scratches on her arm could've been from when she pushed him out the window," said Michelle Keely, Assistant Tulsa County DA.

Her attorney says lots of people claim responsibility for something after a traumatic event, but it doesn't mean it was intentional.

"Every witness says she was despondent, hysterical, screaming, crying, upset, she'd just lost her husband, this was an incredibly traumatic event for her," said Mark Collier, Amber's attorney.

The defense withdrew a motion to suppress a recorded conversation between Hilberling and her grandmother at the police station.

9/7/2011 Related Story: Preliminary Hearing For Tulsa Murder Suspect Amber Hilberling Postponed