Former ‘Family Feud’ contestant arrested in fatal shooting of mother of 3, IL cops say
The estranged husband of a 41-year-old mother of three found shot and killed in her home has been arrested in her death, Illinois police and media reports say.
Timothy Bliefnick, 39, was charged Monday, March 13, with first-degree murder and home invasion, according to the Quincy Police Department.
The Muddy River News and WGEM report Bliefnick is the estranged husband of Rebecca Bliefnick, whose body was discovered Feb. 23.
“This brutal crime has had the Quincy community on edge and our residents living in fear,” Quincy Police Chief Adam Yates said. “I hope today’s announcement can begin to calm some of those concerns.”
A family member checked on Rebecca Bliefnick when she did not pick up her children from school Feb. 23, and the relative found her dead, WGEM reported. She was reportedly shot multiple times.
The investigation led authorities to Tim Bliefnick. His home and car were searched March 1, according to the Muddy River News.
“Given the circumstances, it is not surprising that the search warrant was issued and executed,” his attorney, Casey Schnack, told the publication at the time. “My only surprise is that it took this long to do. It is just as important that QPD conduct such as investigation to rule Tim OUT as a suspect so that investigative efforts can be spent elsewhere.”
Police said Tim Bliefnick was arrested without incident Monday. Additional arrests are unlikely, the police chief said in a news briefing.
The family of Rebecca Bliefnick said in a statement Monday it was thankful for the officers who helped bring her justice.
“While the arrest today provides a step towards closure, this journey is far from over and the investigation continues,” the statement read.
Bliefnick is being held in the Quincy jail on no bond, police said. Quincy is about 135 miles northwest of St. Louis.
In 2020, Tim Bliefnick and members of his family appeared on the popular game show “Family Feud.” The episode remained online as of Monday.
Rebecca Bliefnick a ’quintessential boy mom’
A mother of three boys, Rebecca Bliefnick’s most profound devotion was her family, according to an obituary.
“Her boys were her world, her life’s greatest gifts,” the obituary says. “She was the quintessential ‘boy mom,’ aptly illustrated by building, for Halloween, Transformers costumes that actually transformed, creating custom ‘first day of school’ posters each year, and jumping all-in with fishing and frog hunting and anything sports.”
She worked as an ER nurse at Blessing Hospital in Quincy and was a travel nurse for multiple hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, the obituary states. Nursing was described as her “true calling.”
“Becky always envisioned herself working hands-on in the medical profession, so it was no surprise when she chose a career in nursing — her true calling — where she was able to provide care and comfort to people on a daily basis,” her sister said in a GoFundMe.
In 2020, she was nominated for an international Daisy Award, an honor that recognizes the skill and compassion of nurses.
The woman who nominated Rebecca Bliefnick for the award called her “an amazing nurse.”
“I got to kiss (my husband) and tell him how much I loved him all because of Becky,” the woman saidin the nomination form. “There are no words to express how grateful I am to her for what she did for me and my husband.”
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