Prosecutors in Illinois stated on Tuesday that a man who had previously participated on Family Feud had broken through his estranged wife’s second-story window with a crowbar and shot her 14 times. Adams County Assistant State’s Attorney Josh Jones reportedly said, “Terrified, bleeding, and alone,” when describing the final moments of Rebecca “Becky” Bliefnick following the attack in February to KHQA.
Prosecutors in Adams County, where m*rder trial of Timothy Bliefnick, who is accused of k!lling his wife during a bitter divorce, opened with graphic new information from the crime scene. A search for “how to open a door with a crowbar” and another for “how to make a homemade silencer” were allegedly made by Bliefnick around the time of the m*rder, according to the prosecution.
He allegedly looked up “average [Quincy Police Department] response times” and “how to wash off gunpowder,” as stated by Jones. According to Jones, Becky had texted a relative shortly before her de@th, blaming Bliefnick for anything that might happen to her. Bliefnick is facing multiple counts, including first-degree m*rder and home invasion, both of which he has pleaded not guilty to.
He faces life in jail if he is found guilty. During opening statements, Bliefnick’s legal team maintained their client’s innocence and said that certain evidence against him was “inconclusive.” Defense counsel Casey Schnack urged his client to “use your common sense.”
On February 23, 2023, after Becky had neglected to pick up her children from school, they were discovered dead in her home, according to prosecutors. Becky, a 41-year-old nurse and mother of three, was remembered in a GoFundMe campaign launched in her honor.
Officer Matt Hermsmeier of the Quincy Police Department, who arrived at the scene shortly after the initial 911 call, stated in court that he discovered Becky lying face up on the bathroom floor with a towel covering her. This was reported by Muddy River News. Hermsmeier noted that Becky’s bedroom door and window both had broken wooden frames.
Bliefnick and Becky had already been apart for two years at that point. KHQA reported previously that Becky had sought a restraining order against Bliefnick and his father, and that her husband had countersued with his own restraining order. Since 2009, the pair has been happily married.
Ted Johnson, who told the jury he was in a “dating type of relationship” with Becky, testified about the nurse’s elation about the finalization of her divorce from Bliefnick. After Becky’s surgery, Johnson stated he brought her some food, and that was the last time he saw her before her m*rder two days later.
He claimed that on February 22, he received a text from Becky in which she informed him that she would be picking up her sons the next day. He told the jury that he found out from Becky’s sister that she had passed away some time later.
Ballistics evidence linking Bliefnick to his estranged wife’s killing was also presented to the jury. According to Jones, eight shot casings from the same gun were located near Becky’s body at the crime scene. Prosecutors say Bliefnick used a makeshift silencer manufactured from parts of an Aldi bag, which were found at the scene.
Bliefnick’s estranged wife’s body was discovered in the basement, along with 27 shot shells that matched those recovered with her. An Aldi bag at Bliefnick’s house also contained Becky’s DNA. Bliefnick’s appearance on the game show Family Feud in January of 2020 caused quite a stir. During the competition, Bliefnick admitted to host Steve Harvey that his “I do” was the worst decision he made on his wedding night.
Anyone who wants to stay up to date on local and state news in the Golden State must read The California Examiner.
For further reading on the recent news, we have included resources below:
- Mother-of-two R*ped and Burned to De@th in “Feral Violence”
- Teen Charged in 2022 Freehold Collision That K!lled Two Teens
