Man Strangles Wife In Hospital Bed Over Medical Bills

An elderly man was arrested after choking his wife in a hospital bed, resulting in her death, because he couldn’t afford her medical fees.

Ronnie Wiggs, 76, has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with his wife’s death on Saturday, May 4, in Independence, a Kansas City suburb, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed in Jackson County, Wiggs admitted to killing the deceased while she was visiting Centerpoint Medical Centre for a new dialysis port.

On Friday, May 3, at 11:30 p.m., an off-duty police officer at a hospital in Independence, Missouri, was sent to the intensive care unit following an alleged assault.

The officer discovered a woman who was unresponsive and had no pulse, but medical professionals were able to recover her and bring her to the Intensive Care Unit, according to the affidavit of an Independence Police Department officer.

According to court filings, medical workers informed investigators that they overheard the woman’s husband, Ronnie Wiggs, remark, “I did it. I killed her. “I choked her.

Wiggs was detained and transported to the Independence Police Department, according to WDAF.

Wiggs’ wife was not proclaimed dead at the time of his arrest, but she was taken off life support shortly afterward due to no reported brain function.

After reportedly choking her unconscious, Wiggs departed the hospital.

The suspect informed police that he later requested a relative to pick him up and drive him back to the hospital.

When the family and staff returned to the hospital, they informed authorities that Wiggs had admitted to choking and killing his wife, according to WDAF.

According to court filings, another individual discovered “suspicious” injuries and fresh wounds on the victim’s neck.

Wiggs told detectives that he choked his wife in the hospital bed, covering her nose and mouth to keep her from screaming.

Wiggs also allegedly admitted that he had attempted to kill his wife during two separate hospital and rehabilitation visits.

The man attempted to strangle his wife while she was in a treatment facility but “could not follow through with it.”

Court documents show that Wiggs told police that after he choked her, the victim woke up and “told him not to do that again.”

Wiggs allegedly informed officials that he killed his wife out of depression. He also stated that he was unable to care for her or pay her medical bills, according to the publication.

According to prosecutors, Wiggs was held on a $250,000 bond on Tuesday, May 7, and was scheduled to appear in court for a hearing on Thursday, May 9.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli