A Missouri man was charged with second degree murder after he allegedly strangled his wife to death while she lay in a hospital bed to get a new port for kidney dialysis.

Ronnie Wiggs reportedly admitted covering his wife’s nose and mouth, to keep her from screaming, and put his thumbs on her throat, WDAF reported. He said he’d tried to kill her twice before during hospital or rehabilitation stays.

Wiggs also told police he was depressed and couldn’t care for his wife or afford her medical bills.

Prosecutors said Wiggs strangled his wife, whose identify was not released, Friday night and left Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence shortly before 11:30 p.m. Friday. According to court records, hospital staff said they heard Wiggs admit killing her before he left.

After he left the hospital, he reportedly called a relative to take him back to the hospital. He was initially arrested on a domestic assault charge because his wife had not yet been pronounced dead. Shortly afterward, she was taken off life support and died.

The relative who picked Wiggs up and returned him to the hospital also told police that he admitted choking his wife, killing her. Another witness reported “suspicious” injuries and fresh wounds to her neck, according to court records.

Wiggs is being held on a $250,000 bond.

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