Man Charged with Killing Wife Due to Medical Bills
Independence, Mo. — Court records reveal that a man from the Kansas City area, Ronnie Wiggs, confessed to police that he couldn't take care of his hospitalized wife or afford her medical bills, leading to her tragic death.
Wiggs appeared in court on Monday to face a second-degree murder charge and has been assigned to the public defender's office. A hearing to review his $250,000 bond has been scheduled for Thursday.
According to the probable cause statement, Wiggs' wife was undergoing a medical procedure at Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence when staff called a "code blue" due to her unresponsiveness. Despite efforts to revive her, she was declared brain dead, and preparations were made to harvest her organs. She passed away the following day.
Following the incident, Wiggs initially left the hospital. However, he was brought back by the woman's son, where he admitted to the crime. Staff overheard him confessing, saying, "I did it, I killed her, I choked her," as per the statement.
According to reports from CBS Kansas City, Mo. affiliate KCTV, a witness noticed suspicious injuries on the victim's neck and a fresh wound in the middle of her throat.
Following this, the man was taken into custody and confessed to a detective that he had covered his wife's nose and mouth to prevent her from screaming. He cited depression, the stress of caregiving, and financial burdens as reasons for his actions.
Furthermore, he admitted to a previous attempt on his wife's life while she was at a rehabilitation facility, but she had woken up and warned him against repeating it. He had planned another attempt while she was hospitalized, but was unable to proceed as she was closely monitored.
