Missouri Man Admits To Strangling Wife In The Hospital Because He Couldn't Afford Her Medical Care: 'I Choked Her'
A depressed and deranged Missouri man confessed to killing his wife in the hospital due to healthcare costs.
Police charged Ronnie Wiggs with second-degree murder following the death of his wife, Ellen Wiggs, who was admitted into Centerpoint Medical Center outside Kansas City.
Ellen, who was receiving a new port for her dialysis, was reportedly "alert and oriented" at 7:30 p.m. on Friday when a "code blue" call was announced an hour later. The police report states she was then found unresponsive and had no pulse.
The report states that hospital staff noticed "suspicious" injuries on the victim, including redness on the left and right side of the victim's neck and a fresh wound to the middle of her throat. She was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) where her pulse was restored.
Ronnie, 76, who had already committed the crime and had left the hospital, was brought back by his son to visit his wife. It was at that time that Ronnie confessed to his son and a nurse that he killed his wife by choking her.
"I did it, I killed her. I choked her," Wiggs was heard confessing, per medical staff.
An Independence Police Officer working off-duty at the hospital facility placed the 76-year-old man under arrest and transported him to IPD Detention. He was placed on a hold for domestic assault in the 1st degree. At this time, his wife had yet to be pronounced dead.
Despite the victim's pulse being restored in the ICU, investigators were informed that she had no brain function, and were going to discontinue any life saving measures to prepare for organ harvest pending the medical examiners' response.
After being read Miranda rights, Ronnie admitted that he killed Ellen by choking her, covering her mouth and nose to keep her from screaming. He admitted that after he choked her, he left the facility. He described placing both hands around the victim's neck, placing his fingers on both sides of her throat.
He reportedly tried to kill her in the past, but the victim woke up and told him "not to do that again." In another instance, he admitted his desire to kill her but couldn't follow through, as she was connected to "several monitors."
Ronnie told investigators that he was depressed and killed his wife because he could not take care of her anymore, claiming he could not pay the medical bills that had accumulated. His wife was pronounced dead at 8:28 a.m. on May 5.
Per Atlanta Black Star, a judge in a local county jail set his bond at $250,000.
Wiggs is set to return to court on May 9.
