A man from the Kansas City area in Missouri reportedly confessed to killing his wife while she was in the hospital, citing medical bills he couldn’t afford and the burden of caregiving as the reasons for his actions, according to court records and police statements.

Ronnie Wiggs, age 76, was in court on Monday, May 6, 2024, facing a charge of second-degree murder. The charge was in connection to the alleged killing of his wife, Ellen Wiggs, 72. She was a patient at the Centerpoint Medical Center located in Independence, Missouri. Wiggs was appointed a public defender, and a hearing to review his $250,000 bond was scheduled for Thursday, May 9.

The unfortunate event began on Friday, May 3, during Ellen’s hospitalization for a new port for her dialysis treatment. At around 7:30 p.m., she was observed as being alert in her hospital room. However, by 11:30 p.m., she became unresponsive, leading the medical staff to declare a “code blue”. Despite a brief return of her pulse, she was declared brain-dead shortly after, and plans were made to harvest her organs.

According to police, Wiggs confessed to murdering his wife when he was brought back to the hospital by her son. Court documents have him quoted as saying, “I did it, I killed her, I choked her.” A witness noticed suspicious injuries on Ellen’s neck, including a fresh wound in the center of her throat, which led to a deeper investigation by the authorities.

Wiggs reportedly told detectives that he covered his wife’s mouth and nose to prevent her from screaming. He admitted to feeling depressed, overwhelmed by the caregiving responsibilities and the mounting bills. As per court documents, he confessed to two previous attempts on his wife’s life: one at a rehabilitation facility where she woke up when he tried to choke her and told him not to try that again, and another at the hospital where her connection to multiple monitors thwarted his plan.

Wiggs left the hospital following the attack but was persuaded to return by his stepson, leading to his confession. He is currently being held on a $250,000 bond.

Jean Peters Baker, the Prosecutor for Jackson County, has refrained from making direct comments on the case.