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'Family Feud' Contestant Pleads Not Guilty In Estranged Wife’s Killing
Timothy Bliefnick is accused of fatally shooting his estranged wife, Rebecca Bliefnick, in her Quincy, Illinois home in February.
An Illinois man who once appeared on the iconic game show “Family Feud” has pleaded not guilty to the home invasion killing of his wife last month.
Timothy Bliefnick, 39, pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the February shooting of his wife, Rebecca Bliefnick, in her Quincy home, according to court records cited by KHQA-TV.
Timothy Bliefnick, who once competed as a contestant on ABC’s long-running television game show “Family Feud,” was arrested on March 13 in connection with his wife’s death. Bliefnick was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday. He was also charged with home invasion.
RELATED: Former 'Family Feud' Contestant Charged With Murder Of Estranged Wife In Her Illinois Home
“A grand jury was presented evidence, and they determined a crime probably occurred and the defendant probably committed the crime," Adams County Assistant State’s Attorney Josh Jones said, per KHQA-TV.
On Feb. 23, authorities were dispatched to Rebecca Bliefnick’s home in the 2500 block of Kentucky Road after the Illinois woman failed to pick up her children from school. Upon arrival, police found her dead; she’d been shot several times.
An exact motive hasn’t been released by officials, however, the couple were reportedly in the midst of a divorce at the time of the murder and had been living separately. Investigators had executed a search warrant at Timothy Bliefnick’s home on March 1. It’s unclear what specific evidence has tied him to estranged wife’s slaying.
A defense attorney for Bliefnick, meanwhile, insisted his client was innocent as pre-trial proceedings got underway.
“We’re looking forward to giving Timothy his day in court,” lawyer Casey Schnack told WGEM.
Rebecca Bliefnick’s family held a funeral for her earlier this month. The family is also raising money on GoFundMe to help financially support her three surviving sons. A family spokesperson said they’re planning a scholarship in her name, per Fox News.
"There are no words to adequately express how devastated and heartbroken we are," her family’s statement said. "Becky was the heart and soul of our family and her greatest loves were her sons. We will pray for her and miss her every day of our lives."
The family had previously asked for privacy as investigators worked the case.
"Thank you to our family, friends, community and even strangers who have expressed their sympathy and support,” the statement added. “As we continue to mourn, we will find ways to celebrate Becky's life and we will love and care for her boys in the ways we know she would want."
Timothy Bliefnick appeared on Family Feud with other family members in 2020.
When host Steve Harvey asked Timothy Bliefnick what “the biggest mistake” he made at his wedding was, the now-accused Illinois man replied, “I do.”
“Not mine to say, not mine to say,” Timothy Bliefnick then quipped. “I love my wife.” He also said, “I’m going to get in trouble for that, aren’t I?”
“It’s going to be a lot of hell to pay at your house,” Harvey responded.
Bliefnick’s answer was second on the board with 20 out of 100 people polled giving the same answer. Getting “sloshed” was No. 1 with 30 answers.
The 39-year-old is now being held at an Adams County detention center, online jail records obtained by Oxygen.com show. He appeared in court for an arraignment on Friday. Timothy Bliefnick has a status conference scheduled for April 12
No other information was released by officials. Anyone with additional information related to Rebecca Bliefnick’s murder is asked to contact Quincy Police Department or the Quincy Regional Crime Stoppers at 217-228-4474.
