The Chester County husband accused of stabbing his estranged wife to death outside the Wawa where she worked who then allegedly confessed to the crime was in court Tuesday morning.
James (Jim) Hvizda, 45, of Chester Springs, Pa. planned to kill his wife and bought the weapon used for the crime just days before the killing, prosecutors said at Hvizda's preliminary hearing.
Hvizda is accused of killing his wife Kimberly (Kim) Hvizda -- who had a restraining order against him -- in the parking lot of the Wawa along the 1800 block of Ticonderoga Boulevard in Upper Uwchlan Township as she arrived to start her overnight shift on March 25, according to authorities.
"This was a cold-blooded, pre-planned killing," said Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan. "The defendant executed his wife, the mother of his four children, with casual efficiency. Those four children are now left without a mother and with a father charged with murder."
According to a criminal complaint, Hvizda allegedly met his wife at the Wawa where she worked and the two began a conversation in front of the store. He told police that he had recently purchased the knife and had kept a journal since March 17 about his intentions to kill his wife, according to the criminal complaint.
Prosecutors say the couple eventually walked over to Kim's van where she planned to give Hvizda a pair of letters that were the reason for the meeting. At that time Hvizda allegedly pulled a knife and stabbed her multiple times.
In court Tuesday detectives told the judge that Hvizda left the large knife he allegedly used to kill Kim in her body.
A co-worker found Kim's body in the parking lot of the store. She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to investigators.
According to the criminal complaint, Hvizda rang the doorbell at the Upper Uwchlan Township Police Department at 11:10 p.m. This was the conversation between Hvizda and Cpl. Joseph Carr, who was on duty:
Carr: “How can I help you?”
Hvizda: “I just killed my wife.”
Carr: “What?”
Hvizda: “I just killed my wife.”
Carr: “Where?”
Hvizda: “At your Wawa.”
Carr: “Is she alive?”
Hvizda: “No she is dead.”
Carr: “How did you kill her?”
Hvizda: “With a knife.”
Hvizda told police that he stabbed his wife in the stomach and pressed the knife to her throat, according to the criminal complaint.
Kim had a protection from abuse order against her husband that was issued last November and was to remain active until November 2014, according to authorities.
In court Tuesday police said that they knew Hvizda from previous domestic incident's. He also has a recent history of traffic violations, according to court records.
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After Tuesday's hearing, Hvizda remained held without bail for trial on first-degree murder, third-degree murder, criminal homicide and other charges.
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