Ronnie Wiggs, Independence, Missouri man strangles wife at hospital cause he couldn’t afford medical bills. Victim was admitted to Counterpoint Medical Center for a new port for dialysis.
A husband is reported to have murdered his wife at a Missouri hospital on account of not being able to afford her ongoing medical bills.
Ronnie Wiggs, of Independence (yes the irony…) is alleged to have confessed to strangling his wife sometime between 7.30pm and 11.30pm, Friday night when the man’s wife was found unresponsive and without a pulse by an off duty officer at Counterpoint Medical Center.
Hospital staff told police they had heard the victim’s husband saying, ‘I did it, I killed her, I choked her,’ according to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
Victim had come to the hospital for a new port for dialysis
The officer placed Wiggs under arrest and on an investigative hold for first-degree domestic assault and took him to the Independence Police Department.
At the time, the victim hadn’t been pronounced dead. But shortly after, she was taken off life support on account of no reported brain function. The woman, whose name was not made public, was officially pronounced dead around 8:30 a.m. Saturday.
During police questioning, Wiggs admitted to strangling his wife just after 7.30pm, Friday evening and leaving the hospital. After leaving, he said he asked the victim’s son to pick him up and take him back to the hospital according to court records.
When he returned, a witness — the victim’s son who picked him up — and hospital staff said Wiggs admitted to killing his wife and choking her. This was after another witness had reported ‘suspicious’ injuries and fresh wounds to the victim’s neck, court records stated.
Wiggs told police he had covered the victim’s nose and mouth to keep her from screaming and placed his thumbs over her throat. He also admitted to trying to kill his wife two other times during previous hospital and rehabilitation visits.
The husband told detectives he killed his wife because he was depressed and could not take care of her anymore nor pay for her medical bills.
The victim had come to the hospital for a new port for dialysis.
Not immediately clear is whether the hospital had been made aware of the husband’s financial situation and what remedies had been offered, if any.
A regard of the husband’s social media account revealed him to be a former insurance agent previously living in nearby Cape Girardeau, before retiring.
Ronnie Wiggs following his arrest was charged with murder in the second degree. The man remains held on a $250,000 bond.
