Mays Landing, NJ, woman admits killing her husband after abuse

A woman from Mays Landing has admitted to killing her husband after she was physically abused.

Marylue Wigglesworth of Mays Landing, NJ, Pleads Guilty

The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office says on Tuesday, 53-year-old Marylue Wigglesworth pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree manslaughter in connection to the death of 57-year-old David Wigglesworth in their home on Christmas Day in 2022.

According to authorities, just before 10:30 that night, officers with the Township of Hamilton Police Department responded to a home on the 5200 block of Somers Point-Mays Landing Road for a report of an injured man.

Cops arrived to find that man, David Wigglesworth, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound; he was pronounced dead at the scene.

During her guilty plea, Marylue Wigglesworth stated that before the shooting, she and her husband had an argument and David physically assaulted her and threatened her with a gun that he kept in their bedroom.

Immediately following the threat, Marylue shot David Wigglesworth.

Officers investigating the case documented significant bruising throughout the defendant’s body following the homicide, consistent with being the victim of an assault.

Political Player in Hamilton Township

David Wigglesworth was a political figure in Hamilton Township, having served as president of the planning board and unsuccessfully ran as a Republican for township committee in 2012.

Potential Prison Time

Authorities say the recommended sentence in this case, which garnered national attention after it was covered by FOX News, People magazine, and the New York Post, is six years in state prison and she would need to serve 85% of that time before becoming eligible for parole.

The defendant will be sentenced on August 20th.

This case was investigated by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office’s Major Crimes Unit and the Hamilton Township Police Department. Chief Assistant Prosecutor Kathleen Robinson prosecuted the case for the State.