An elderly man found himself in police custody after an incident where he choked his wife in a hospital bed, tragically leading to her demise, reportedly due to the inability to afford her medical expenses.
Ronnie Wiggs, aged 76, now faces charges of second-degree murder in relation to the passing of his wife, as announced by Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker. The incident occurred on Saturday, May 4, in Independence, a suburb of Kansas City.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed in Jackson County, Wiggs confessed to the authorities that he had committed the act while his wife was receiving treatment at Centerpoint Medical Center, where she was undergoing a procedure for a new port for dialysis.
The series of events unfolded around 11:30 p.m. on Friday, May 3, when an off-duty police officer stationed at a hospital in Independence, Missouri, responded to a distress call in the ICU. Upon arrival, the officer discovered a woman who appeared lifeless, but prompt medical intervention managed to revive her, and she was swiftly transported to the Intensive Care Unit.
Subsequent investigations revealed that medical staff overheard Wiggs confessing to the crime, stating, “I did it. I killed her. I choked her.” Wiggs was then apprehended and taken into custody by the Independence Police Department.
Although Wiggs’ wife was not officially pronounced deceased at the time of his arrest, she was later taken off life support due to the absence of any reported brain activity.
Following the incident, Wiggs purportedly left the hospital premises after choking his wife unconscious. He later contacted a relative for assistance and returned to the hospital. Upon his return, both the relative and hospital staff informed the authorities that Wiggs had confessed to the act.
Furthermore, reports cited by WDAF indicated that the victim exhibited suspicious injuries and fresh wounds on her neck, prompting further investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
During interrogation, Wiggs admitted to choking his wife in the hospital bed, covering her nose and mouth to prevent her from alerting others. Shockingly, he confessed to attempting to end his wife’s life on two previous occasions during hospital and rehabilitation visits, although his efforts were unsuccessful.
Court documents revealed that Wiggs’ wife had regained consciousness after one of the attempts and explicitly warned him against repeating such actions. Wiggs attributed his actions to depression and the inability to provide adequate care or afford his wife’s medical expenses.
As of Tuesday, May 7, Wiggs remains in custody with a bail set at $250,000. He is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, May 9, for further legal proceedings.
