Man Charged with Murder After Strangling Wife in Hospital Bed

Police in Missouri have arrested Ronnie Wiggs, charging him with second-degree murder after he allegedly admitted to strangling his wife in a hospital bed, claiming he could not afford her medical care.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced that Wiggs is accused of killing his wife, who died Saturday in Independence, a Kansas City suburb.

"I did it. I killed her. I choked her."
- Wiggs to hospital staff

According to a probable cause affidavit, Wiggs confessed to police that he killed his wife while she was at Centerpoint Medical Center receiving treatment for dialysis. Court papers do not name the victim or provide her age.

On Friday, hospital staff found Wiggs' wife unresponsive with no pulse, but were able to revive her and move her to the ICU. Independence Police Department stated in the affidavit that Wiggs then choked her unconscious and left the hospital, and she died the following day.

In an interview, Wiggs told detectives he covered his wife's nose and mouth to muffle her screams as he strangled her. He cited depression and claimed he couldn't afford her medical bills.

The affidavit also reveals that Wiggs admitted to attempting to kill his wife previously while she was at a rehab facility, but he "could not follow through." Court papers show she woke up and told him not to do it again.

As of Tuesday, Wiggs is being held on a $250,000 bond and is set to appear in court on Thursday. It is unknown if he has obtained legal representation.