By A Missouri man has admitted to killing his wife by strangling her in her hospital bed because he could no longer afford to pay for her medical treatment, according to court documents.
Ronnie Wiggs has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the alleged killing of his wife last Friday at a hospital in Independence, where she was undergoing a procedure to change her dialysis port.
Court documents filed in Jackson County state that medical staff overheard Wiggs saying, “I did it, I killed her, I choked her.”
Prosecutors allege that Wiggs “choked her unconscious,” covering her mouth to prevent her from screaming, before leaving the hospital.
Before her death, the victim, who was not named but identified as Wiggs’ wife, was described as “alert and oriented.”
However, at approximately 8:30 pm, hospital staff discovered the woman unresponsive and without a pulse.
Despite their efforts to revive her, she was found to have no brain function and passed away the following day at 8:28 am.
The victim’s injuries, as detailed in court documents, included redness on both sides of her neck and a fresh wound in the middle of her throat.
An off-duty officer responded to the ICU around 11:22 pm after the woman was reported as an assault victim.
While in the hospital room, Wiggs allegedly confessed to choking and killing his wife, leading to his arrest for first-degree domestic assault.
During a police interview, Wiggs claimed that he was depressed and unable to afford the mounting medical bills and the cost of caring for his wife, according to the documents.
He is currently in custody with a bond set at $250,000.
The tragic incident highlights the devastating impact of the financial burden of healthcare on families and the need for accessible and affordable medical treatment for all.
Credit: ABCNews.com
