QUINCY, ILLINOIS: Timothy Bliefnick, the 'Family Feud' contestant who joked about regretting his marriage on the show three years ago, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his estranged wife, Rebecca Bliefnick.
Timothy was convicted in May on charges of first-degree murder and home invasion for attacking his wife in February 23 at a Quincy house.
He was sentenced to three life terms in an Illinois court on Friday, August 11.
The 40-year-old got three life sentences, including two convictions for first-degree murder and one for a home invasion, as per KHQA-TV.
According to Deadline, Timothy is not eligible for parole as he was sentenced to "natural life" in prison after Illinois abolished the death penalty through a 2011 legislation.
Who was Timothy Bliefnick's wife?
Timothy Bliefnick's wife Rebecca was a 41-year-old Quincy native, who was murdered in her home on February 23, 2023.
According to WSB-TV, Timothy is believed to have broken into Rebecca's home with a crowbar. After entering the house, he allegedly shot his former wife at least 14 times.
Prosecutors claimed that Timothy made multiple internet searches about opening a locked door with a crowbar around the time of Rebecca's murder.
According to an obituary posted in Duker & Haugh Funeral home, Rebecca is remembered for her "compassion, generosity, faith, and fierce love for her family."
She reportedly attended Payson Seymour Elementary School before joining Quincy Notre Dame High School, where she was named valedictorian.
Rebecca graduated cum laude from Quincy University with a bachelor’s degree in biological science with a minor in chemistry.
She then started working for Sanofi Aventis as one of their top-performing pharmaceutical sales representatives.
She eventually left pharmaceuticals to establish a career in nursing. Rebecca went on to graduate summa cum laude from Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences and even received the Faculty Outstanding Senior Award.
Rebecca started working for Quincy Medical Group in gastrointestinal surgery before moving to Blessing Hospital’s emergency room.
She also worked as a travel nurse at Northeast Regional Medical Center in Kirksville and Hannibal Regional Hospital in Hannibal during Covid.
She was nominated for the international Daisy Award in 2020, an honor given to "extraordinary nurses" for their "exceptional care." Rebecca was also a certified trauma nurse specialist (TNS) and a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE).
Due to her love for animals, she volunteered at the Homeward Bound Waggin animal rescue group and was set to begin volunteering in the spring at QUEST Stables.
Rebecca also volunteered at the St Peter’s Grade School Association for the last five years.
She was working toward her nurse practitioner certification while also serving at the Blessing Hospital in vascular access at the time of her death.
Why is Timothy Bliefnick's 'Family Feud' episode famous?
Timothy Bliefnick's 'Family Feud' episode gained instant popularity after his chilling joke about regretting his marriage to Rebecca went viral online.
Rebecca and Timothy appeared on the game show with some of their family members in an episode that aired in 2020. During the game, Timothy told host Steve Harvey that his biggest mistake was saying, "I do."
"What’s the biggest mistake you made at your wedding?" Harvey asked Timothy. "Honey, I love you, but said 'I do.' Not my mistake - I love my wife," Timothy replied.
While the joke garnered popularity at the time, it soon took a chilling turn after Timothy was accused of murdering his wife and arrested on March 13.
As per WGEM, Timothy and Rebecca parted ways after 14 years of marriage. The former filed for divorce in January 2021, nearly a year after their 'Family Fued' episode.
Timothy Bliefnick is not eligible for parole
On Friday, August 11, Judge Robert Adrian sentenced Timothy Bliefnick to three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.
As per KHQA, defense attorney Casey Schnack asked the court for leniency as the defendant had no prior criminal record and was fully educated and fully employed at one point.
However, Assistant State’s Attorney Josh Jones asked the court for the maximum sentence. "We deal sometimes with some of the worst aspects of humanity," he said.
"This wasn’t a bar fight. Hell, your honor, this wasn’t a fight at all. This was a person who stalked his victim for days. He practiced," Jones added.
Prior to Timothy's sentencing, the court heard several victim impact statements. "Did you think about 12-year-old Deacon as you broke through his window?" asked Rebecca's brother-in-law.
"Did you think about 10-year-old Grayson as you charged down his hallway, chasing his defenseless mommy en route to slaughter his entire world?" he added.
"You replaced their mother’s love with emotional scars and trauma," Bernie Postle, Rebecca's mother, told Timothy while referring to the couple's three children.
"Our lives are forever altered, scarred by the knowledge that someone we cherish was taken from us so violently and senselessly," shared Rebecca's cousin, Chris Shultz.
"We’ll never again hear her infectious laughter, embrace her in the moments of joy or watch her thrive in the personal and professional role she was born to fill," he mentioned.
"Mr Bliefnick, you researched this murder, you planned this murder, you practiced this murder, you broke into her house and you shot her," said Judge Adrian.
"Some of those shots were fired while she was laying on the ground and you did all of that while your children were upstairs at your house, laying snug in their beds," he added during the sentencing phase.
