Man confesses to killing hospitalised wife because he couldn't afford to care for her, police say

Ronnie Wiggs' wife was sick — and not for the first time, she found herself in hospital. This time, she required a new port for her dialysis, a simple, routine procedure. She would never make it out of that facility.

But she didn't die from complications related to the procedure or from any of the other medical ailments she was afflicted by. Ronnie killed her, court records obtained by The Associated Press allege, because he couldn't take care of her or afford the astronomical medical bills incurred from her treatments.

So, the Kansas City-area man murdered her, strangling her in her hospital bed, it's alleged, to end once and for all the bills that had been racking up by the thousands.

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The woman, who was not named, died on Saturday after crashing on Friday. Medical personnel at Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, Missouri, reportedly responded to a "code blue" on Friday after finding Ronnie's wife unresponsive.

They managed to get her pulse back, it was reported, but that was short-lived. She was brain dead, and there was nothing more they could do for her. The hospital made preparations to harvest her organs, and Ronnie's wife died the next day.

Ronnie had reportedly attempted to kill his wife before but failed, he told the cops
(Image: Getty Images)

Ronnie was promptly charged with second-degree murder and arrested, eventually making his first court appearance on Monday this week. Bond was set at $250,000 for the Missouri man, a number that's reportedly under review and will be discussed at a hearing on Thursday.

Ronnie doesn't have a lawyer listed yet but was reportedly referred to the public defender's office. Calls left with that office by the AP were not returned.

But what ultimately led to Ronnie's arrest? And how did the police suspect that he was the killer so soon after his wife's death? It all boiled down to a badly timed admission Ronnie reportedly made.

After the murder, he left the hospital but was brought back shortly thereafter by his wife's son to see her. That's when he allegedly said, "I did it. I killed her. I choked her." Staff members heard it and called the police.

When detectives arrived, Ronnie reportedly told them that he covered his wife's nose and mouth to keep her from screaming, then choked her. He added that he was depressed and simply couldn't afford her medical bills or handle her care.

This wasn't the first time Ronnie attempted to kill his wife, however. While she spent time at a rehabilitation facility, he allegedly tried to end her life, but when she woke up, she reportedly told him not to do that again. He told the police that he had plans after that to kill her during another of her stints in the hospital but couldn't because of the monitors she was hooked up to.

This time, however, he succeeded in his mission despite the monitors. Now, he faces 10 to 30 years in prison or life with the possibility of parole for his actions.

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