Man Kills Estranged Wife Outside Chester County Wawa: Prosecutors

Husband allegedly stabs estranged wife then confesses the murder to police

A man was arrested in what Chester County Prosecutor Tom Hogan calls a "cold-blooded, pre-planned killing" of the man's estranged wife, the mother of his four kids, outside a convenience store.

James (Jim) Hvizda, 45, of Chester Springs, Pa. confessed to the premeditated killing, according to authorities.

He is accused of killing his wife Kimberly (Kim) Hvizda -- who had a restraining order against him -- around 11 p.m. Sunday in the parking lot of the Wawa along the 1800 block of Ticonderoga Boulevard in Upper Uwchlan Township, according to authorities.

"This was a cold-blooded, pre-planned killing," said 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 purchased the knife just a day earlier and had kept a journal since March 17 about his intentions to kill his wife, according to the criminal complaint.

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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.

A co-worker found Kim's body in the parking lot of the store. She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to investigators.

James Hvizda is accused of killing his estranged wife outside of the Chester County convenience store where she worked.

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.

NBC10's Katy Zachry reports that police knew Hvizda from previous domestic incident's. He also has a recent history of traffic violations, according to court records.

Hvizda was being held without bail Monday morning on first-degree murder, criminal homicide and other charges.


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