A man is facing second-degree murder charges after he allegedly took the life of his wife at a hospital in Missouri while she was undergoing a procedure to receive a new port for dialysis.
According to a probable cause statement, the staff at the Centerpoint Medical Center reported to the detectives from the Independence Police Department that the woman was alert at approximately 7:30 on Friday. However, when they later checked on her about an hour later, she was found unconscious. In response, a “code blue” was immediately initiated, and she was promptly transferred to the intensive care unit. Sadly, at that time, she had no pulse and showed no signs of brain activity.
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Hospital staff observed that she had “suspicious injuries,” including redness around her neck and a recent wound on her throat, according to the affidavit. The staff promptly reached out to the woman’s husband, Ronnie Wiggs, to inform him about her condition. However, Wiggs mentioned that he did not have access to transportation to get to the hospital. Subsequently, they contacted the victim’s son, who assured them that he would pick up Wiggs, who is in his late 70s, and bring him to the hospital.
Around 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, doctors declared her deceased. On the same day, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office charged Wiggs with second-degree murder. Currently, he is being held at the Jackson County Jail on a bond of $250,000.
