Mays Landing woman ordered held in killing of husband

A Mays Landing woman was ordered held in jail Tuesday in the fatal shooting of her husband on Christmas.

Marylue Wigglesworth, 51, called police to say she shot her husband during an altercation and asking for them to come help him, according to information released during the detention hearing.

Hamilton Township police arrived to find the couple in their bedroom. David Wigglesworth, 57, was naked on the floor. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Wigglesworth could be seen sobbing visibly and wiping her eyes throughout Tuesday’s proceeding as defense attorney Melissa Rosenblum painted a picture of an abused woman who was fighting for her life when she shot her husband.

The defendant was described as a law-abiding person who grew up in Egg Harbor Township, owned her own cleaning business for more than two decades and was known for her work to help the community.

Character letters submitted on Marylue Wigglesworth’s behalf included those from her husband’s mother and brother, who wrote that he was “fully aware of his brother’s inner battles and struggles and his short fuse and temper.”

David Wigglesworth’s mother said Marylue is “a wonderful daughter, good wife and great mother.”

In an affidavit, the couple’s grown son “says he loves his dad and this is hard but he also talks about the fact that his dad was violent and his dad was abusive,” Rosenblum said. “This was during the course of her whole marriage.”

It was a reason the couple had only one child, Wigglesworth told a neighbor 20 years ago, Rosenblum said.

The defense’s argument is something for trial, not a detention hearing, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Seth Levy told the judge.

He said the victim was naked in bed watching television when he was shot.

Rosenblum questioned whether the police who responded even took photos of the defendant’s alleged injuries, since none have been provided so far in discovery.

The defense did provide its own pictures, which Rosenblum said included injuries to Marylue Wigglesworth’s torso and defensive wounds to her arms that are so significant that X-rays are scheduled to see if her arm is broken.

The judge acknowledged that the arguments for release that included Wigglesworth’s significant ties to the community and lack of any criminal record could have swayed the court for release, except that murder is one of the charges that has a presumption of detention under bail reform.

The arguments did not overcome that presumption, Judge Patricia Wild said.

Wigglesworth will remain in the Atlantic County Justice Facility. She is due back in court next month. Defense attorney Jonathan Diego is also representing her in the case.