A former Arizona police officer who is reportedly suffering from dementia was arrested after he allegedly stabbed his wife to death when they got into a fight about finances.
John Biggs Jr. was charged with second-degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault following the death of his wife, Jane Biggs.
Officers with the Goodyear Police Department learned of the killing when they responded to a home around 1:30 p.m. on August 24 after they received a report of a deceased person. The defendant’s son reported the crime after he traveled from out of state to go to his father’s home following a phone call in which John allegedly made concerning statements.
The son entered the home and found John, 92, sitting in a recliner, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law & Crime. John, who is in a wheelchair and wears hearing aids, allegedly told his son that stabbed Jane, 89, and he “should not go into the bedroom.”
The son entered the other room and found Jane on the bed surrounded by blood.
Police arrived and Jane was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said she had three or four stab wounds to the neck, and they also found defensive injuries to her hands and arms.
Authorities spoke to the son, who claimed John believed that Jane had stolen “a large amount of money from his account” and that she was saying mean things about him to his friends. The son added that John sounded “overly paranoid and delusional” during their conversation on the phone, which was why he traveled to his home to check on him.
John also spoke to police and admitted to killing his wife. He told officers that he “confronted” Jane about his investment documents and money, but she denied taking anything from his accounts.
“John Jr. believed he had lost everything and had nowhere else to go and became enraged to the point of killing the victim,” detectives wrote in the affidavit.
Jane allegedly tried to fight back when John attacked her, but he allegedly continued to stab her.
After he killed his wife, John reportedly took several pills in an apparent suicide attempt. He then sat in the recliner and fell asleep, and he didn’t wake up the next morning until his son entered the home.
During the bond hearing, defense attorney Zach Murphy said his client was apparently experiencing dementia, according to KSAZ.
“There appears to be some odd behavior that didn’t exist before,” Murphy added.
It reportedly took about 20 minutes for John to get his hearing aids working during the bond hearing, according to KSAZ. He also reportedly tried to share his side of the story, but his attorney instructed him to stop speaking.
It’s not currently clear if John has entered a plea. John’s bond has been set at $1 million, and he is scheduled to return to court on Friday, September 4.
