A Kansas man was charged with murder Sunday hours after he allegedly choked his bed-ridden wife to death at an Independence hospital, authorities said.
Ronnie J. Wiggs allegedly told detectives that he was depressed and could no longer afford his wife’s medical bills when he choked her while she was at Centerpoint Medical Center.
A nurse found the woman unresponsive with redness around his neck and a wound on his throat at around 8:30 p.m.
A witness told police that the victim was in good condition in her room at around 7:30 p.m.
Hospital staff contacted Wiggs and the victim’s son to alert them about the incident, at which point, Wiggs claimed he couldn’t come because his car was not working.
Another witness brought Wiggs to the hospital and told officers that he confessed to strangling his wife.
Wiggs also confessed to a nurse that he killed his wife after she was declared brain-dead and taken off life-support.
He revealed that he had previously tried killing the victim twice during her hospital stays.
