A New Jersey woman accused of killing her politico husband on Christmas Day shook her head repeatedly and rolled her eyes upon learning a judge had stricken her latest bid for bail.
Marylue Wigglesworth, 51, fatally shot her husband, David Wigglesworth, just before 10:20 p.m. on Dec. 25, 2022, inside their Hamilton Township, New Jersey, home, officials have said. She told law enforcement at the time that the pair had been arguing before she shot her husband, a Republican politician, and that she "feared for her life" and was defending herself, The Press of Atlantic City reported.
On Tuesday, Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Patricia M. Wild doubled down on her decision not to grant bail in the case. Wild acknowledged that there was evidence of self-defense – such as "bruises" and a letter describing a history of "physical violence" – but ruled that it wasn’t sufficient to offer bail.
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"The state asserts that the victim was naked in bed watching television at the time that he was shot. To this court, an assertion of self-defense rings hollow in this circumstance," Wild said during the virtual hearing, which was streamed by Law and Crime Network. "Defendant had time to cool off and to choose a different path of behavior rather than leaving the room, retrieving her gun, returning to the bedroom and shooting her husband."
Wigglesworth, wearing glasses, a face mask and an orange jail-issued jumpsuit, could be seen visibly reacting to Wild’s decision – rolling her eyes and shaking her head multiple times during the jurist’s minutes-long remarks.
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Wild had been tasked with re-evaluating Wigglesworth’s potential bail eligibility after an appellate court ruled she had not considered the woman’s "evidence of self-defense," Law and Crime Network reported.
Wigglesworth called 911 herself after the Christmas night shooting. Police reportedly responded to find the woman and a handgun inside the bedroom where she said she had shot her 57-year-old husband.
New Jersey’s Southern Regional Medical Examiner’s Office ruled David Wigglesworth died as a result of a single gunshot wound. The couple share an adult son.
David Wigglesworth was a known figure among the Hamilton Township community. According to The Press of Atlantic City, he unsuccessfully ran as a Republican candidate for the Township Committee in 2019. He reportedly volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club and served on Hamilton Township’s Planning Board.
Fox News Digital's Rebecca Rosenberg contributed to this report.
