A former Family Feud contestant has been accused of killing his estranged wife, and resurfaced jokes he made on the show about his marriage are raising eyebrows.
Timothy “Tim” Bliefnick, 39, was arrested Monday in Quincy, Ill., and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion, police said in a press release.
His wife, Rebecca “Becky” Bliefnick, 41, was found dead in her home on Feb. 23, her body riddled with bullets. A family member had gone to her home to check on her, after she failed to pick up her three kids from school.
“This brutal crime has had the Quincy community on edge and our residents living in fear,” Quincy Police Chief Adam Yates said on the department’s Facebook page.
“I hope today’s announcement can begin to calm some of those concerns.”
Bliefnick previously made headlines for appearing with his parents and siblings on the game show Family Feud. Clips of his appearance, which contain an ominous-sounding joke, have resurfaced following Becky’s death.
“What’s your biggest mistake you made at your wedding?” host Steve Harvey asked in an episode that aired in January 2020.
“Honey, I love you, but, ‘said I do,'” Bliefnick replied, prompting a mixed reaction from the crowd.
He continued to joke: “Not my mistake, not my mistake – I love my wife. I’m gonna get in trouble for that, aren’t I?
Speaking to Fox News, Bliefnick’s attorney Casey Schnack said the Family Feud comment was merely a joke and not relevant to Bliefnick’s separation from his wife.
“It’s a game show. A silly answer to a silly question on a silly show doesn’t make one a murderer,’ Schnack stated.
KHQA reports that Bliefnick and his wife were married in 2009, but at the time of her death were undergoing divorce proceedings after having been separated for “several years.” After they separated, they filed restraining orders against each other.
In a GoFundMe to raise money for a scholarship in her name, Becky Bliefnick was described as a devoted mother.
“Despite the circumstances of her death, she is remembered for the life she cherished – a life of compassion, generosity, faith, and fierce love for her family,” her sister, Sarah Reilly wrote.
“She leaves behind three young children and an entire community who loved her more than anything. 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.”