AMHERST COUNTY, Va. (BTW21) — Frederick Wiggington, accused of murdering his wife, Elsie Wiggington, and concealing her body for over a year, appeared in court on March 10 for a hearing regarding crucial evidence in his ongoing trial.
Wiggington faces multiple charges in connection with the 2023 death of his wife, Elsie. During the hearing, his defense attorney filed a motion to suppress statements made by Wiggington to fellow inmate Jared Doss, who allegedly provided the information to law enforcement.
The defense argued that Wiggington’s Sixth Amendment right to legal counsel had been violated, claiming that the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office encouraged Doss to gather information while they were both housed at the Halifax County Adult Detention Center.
To support their claim, the defense called five witnesses, including Doss and several law enforcement officers. Doss testified that after Wiggington was transferred to Halifax County in late August 2024, the two began discussing the murder. Doss, with prior experience as an informant for the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, claimed that he later contacted law enforcement to report what Wiggington had said.
During a meeting with officers on September 3, 2024, Doss revealed details of the crime, though he admitted that he could not answer specific questions regarding the color of the tarp used to cover Elsie’s body or other aspects of the murder, like the involvement of Patricia Wiggington.
The defense argued that Doss was acting as an agent of the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office, essentially being instructed to extract information. However, Doss denied being directed by law enforcement, stating that he simply allowed Wiggington to talk freely without any prompting.
Officers testified that Wiggington had been arrested in August 2024 and initially moved to Augusta County before being transferred to the Amherst County Adult Detention Center. This decision followed concerns for his safety after his sister had met with a gang member, a situation believed to pose a risk to him.
A lieutenant from the Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority explained that the transfer to Halifax was a precautionary measure due to the unusual nature of the encounter with the gang member. The defense speculated that the move placed Wiggington near Doss, thereby facilitating the gathering of information.
However, the Commonwealth argued that Doss was simply acting as an informant, voluntarily providing information to law enforcement, and that no incentives were given in exchange.
The jury trial for Frederick Wiggington is scheduled to begin on April 29, 2025. The case continues to develop, with a decision pending on the motion to suppress key evidence.
