On a Christmas night that should have been filled with warmth and celebration, a tragedy unfolded in a quiet Mays Landing, New Jersey home, leaving a family shattered and a community in shock. David Wigglesworth, a 57-year-old man, died on December 25, 2022, from a single gunshot wound. The events of that evening would lead to the arrest of his wife, Marylue Wigglesworth, then 51, and unravel a story of what her lawyers would later describe as domestic turmoil.
Township of Hamilton
Police responded to the Wigglesworth residence on Mays Landing Somers Point Road at approximately 10:19 p.m. following a report of an injured male. Upon their arrival, they discovered David Wigglesworth suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy later confirmed that a single gunshot was the cause of death, and the manner was ruled a homicide. The investigation into the incident quickly led to the arrest of Marylue Wigglesworth, who was charged with the murder of her husband. She was subsequently taken to the Atlantic County Justice Facility.
David Wigglesworth was a figure in his community, having been involved in local politics, including a run for Hamilton Township Committee in 2012 and serving on the planning board. His death prompted an outpouring of sorrow and disbelief from those who knew him through his public life and personal connections. He was remembered as a dedicated member of the local Republican party.
As the legal proceedings began, a different narrative of the Wigglesworths' life together started to emerge. Marylue Wigglesworth's attorneys argued that she had been a victim of physical abuse and acted in self-defense on that fatal Christmas night, fearing for her life. This claim was later supported by evidence documented by investigators, who noted significant bruising on her body consistent with an assault. In a significant development in June 2024, Marylue Wigglesworth, then 53, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree manslaughter. During her plea, she stated that the shooting occurred after her husband physically assaulted her and threatened her with a firearm during an argument.
Following her guilty plea, Marylue Wigglesworth was sentenced in August 2024 to six years in state prison. Under the terms of her sentence, she will be required to serve 85 percent of that time before becoming eligible for parole. The resolution of the case brought a somber end to a story that began on a holiday and concluded with a family irrevocably broken by violence.
