Former 'Family Feud' Contestant Charged With Breaking Into Home & Murdering Estranged Wife
A former contestant on the popular game show Family Feud was recently accused of breaking into the home of his estranged wife and shooting her to death, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Timothy Bliefnick, 39, was charged on Monday with two counts of first-degree murder and home invasion connected to the February 23 murder of his 41-year-old estranged wife, Rebecca Bliefnick, in Quincy, Illinois.
According to the trial attorney in the case, Bliefnick is also accused of domestic violence relating to his estranged wife’s murder.
"It was not a random act of violence," trial attorney Josh Jones said during a press conference announcing the charges on Monday. "However, it is equally as important to recognize the event for what it is — an act of domestic violence."
39-year-old Bliefnick, who was featured on Family Feud in 2020 alongside four other family members, has since pleaded not guilty to the first-degree murder and home invasion charges filed against him this week.
"The state's attorney's office appears to be coming out with a narrative that this was an act of domestic violence,” the accused’s attorney, Casey Schnack, said this week. “And the fact of the matter is, there was no domestic violence that we are aware of.
"Tim does not have a criminal history. He's never been arrested for battery, domestic battery, anything violent, anything ever,” Schnack continued. "There was tremendous pressure from the community for an arrest to be made.”
"And naturally the estranged spouse is going to be the number one suspect regardless of the other circumstances,” Bliefnick’s attorney added before describing the accused as a “standard, all-American, Midwestern dad.”
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The couple, who had legally separated two years ago, was reportedly in the process of getting divorced at the time of Rebecca Bliefnick’s brutal slaying on February 23.
According to Quincy Police Chief Adam Yates, Rebecca’s deceased body was found inside her home in February after she failed to pick up her three children from school.
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Yates also revealed Timothy Bliefnick was arrested at approximately 8:24 AM Monday morning without incident, and he is currently being held in Adams County Jail with no bond.
“We’ve learned long ago that tunnel vision can be detrimental in this type of investigation, so from the very beginning, any type of homicide, family members are always looked at, neighbors are looked at, any random reports of violence are looked at,” Police Chief Yates said on Monday.