Luke’s wife in Jessica Jones, Reva Connors, was killed by Jessica while Kilgrave controlled Jessica’s mind.
Reva is introduced as Luke Cage’s deceased wife, whose death is central to the emotional conflict between Luke and Jessica. Before Jessica meets Luke, Kilgrave uses his mind-control powers to enslave her and force her to obey his commands. Under that control, Jessica kills Reva, although Jessica has no meaningful control over her own actions at the time.
The truth becomes especially painful because Jessica and Luke later begin a relationship without Luke initially knowing that Jessica was involved in Reva’s death. Jessica is haunted by guilt and tries to uncover more about Kilgrave while concealing the full story from Luke. When he learns what happened, the revelation seriously damages their relationship.
Reva is played by Parisa Fitz-Henley in the Marvel television series. She also appears in Luke Cage-related storylines, where her death helps motivate Luke’s investigation into the circumstances surrounding his wife’s apparent murder. A common mistake is saying Jessica killed Reva voluntarily; the story specifically presents Kilgrave’s coercive mind control as the cause.