An elderly Missouri man is behind bars after confessing to murdering his ailing wife because he didn’t want to pay her medical expenses anymore, according to records. Ronnie Wiggs, of Independence, allegedly covered his wife’s mouth as she lay in a hospital bed before squeezing the life out of her with his hands around her throat,

Ronnie Wiggs reportedly told police he killed his wife while she was in the hospital because he couldn't afford her medical bills.

A Kansas City-area man who’s charged with killing his hospitalized wife told police he couldn’t take care of her or afford her medical bills, court records say. Ronnie Wiggs made his first appearance Monday on a second-degree murder charge and was referred to the public defender’s office.

A Missouri man has been arrested and charged with murder in the death of his ailing wife, which happened while she was in a hospital. Ronnie Wiggs, 76, faces a charge of second-degree murder, according to KHSB-TV in Kansas City.

Ronnie Wiggs, 76, was charged with second-degree murder over the death of his wife, who died on Saturday in a Kansas City suburb, police said.

Ronnie Wiggs from the Kansas City area has been charged with second-degree murder for the killing of his hospitalized wife. Wiggs confessed to police, citing an inability to cope with the demands of caregiving and medical expenses.

Hospital staff heard him say, “I did it, I killed her, I choked her,” according to a probable cause statement.