Mo. Man Accused of Choking Wife to Death in Hospital Bed, Then Saying, ‘I Did It’
Ronnie Wiggs allegedly admitted to trying to kill his wife two times before in the hospital and at a rehab facility, say prosecutors
Independence Police Department
Ronnie Wiggs' mugshotA Missouri man is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly strangling his wife to death as she lay in a hospital bed, prosecutors said.
Just before 11:30 p.m. on Friday night, personnel at the Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence called an off-duty police officer to the ICU about an alleged assault on a patient, the probable cause statement shows, KMBC reports.
The patient, identified only as a female, was in the hospital to get a new port for dialysis, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, KCTV reports.
While she was in her hospital bed, her husband, Ronnie Wiggs, began choking her, the prosecutor said. He allegedly covered her mouth and nose so she couldn’t scream for help.
When the officer arrived, Wiggs’ wife was unresponsive and had no pulse, court records show, Fox 4 reports. But she was still alive and placed on life support, according to the probable cause statement cited by the outlet.
Hospital staff told police they allegedly heard Wiggs say, “I did it. I killed her. I choked her,” according to the court records obtained by Fox 4.
Wiggs was arrested for first-degree domestic assault and taken to the Independence Police Department. His wife was taken off life support when she showed signs of having no brain function, the court records state, according to Fox 4.
During questioning, Wiggs allegedly told police he strangled his wife. He allegedly said he had tried to kill her two times before, the court documents state.
He said he killed her because he couldn’t take care of her anymore or afford her medical bills, the court records show, Fox 4 reports.
Wiggs was charged with second-degree murder, the Kansas City Star reports.
He is being held on a $250,000 bond.
It is unclear whether he has retained an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
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