"Terrified, Bleeding, and Alone": Family Feud Contestant Accused of Murder Allegedly Shot Wife 14 Times
Timothy Bliefnick, 39, allegedly searched online for how to make a homemade silencer before shooting his wife Rebecca Bliefnick more than a dozen times in February.
Horrific new details involving the killing of an Illinois woman who was allegedly fatally shot by her husband, a one time Family Feud contestant, were revealed in court this week.
Prosecutors say 39-year-old Timothy Bliefnick used a crowbar to pry open his wife Rebecca Bliefnick's second-story window before shooting her 14 times in February. The shocking revelation came during prosecutors’ opening statements on the trial’s first day.
RELATED: 'Family Feud' Contestant Pleads Not Guilty In Estranged Wife’s Killing
According to Adams County Assistant State’s Attorney Josh Jones, Rebecca died “terrified, bleeding, and alone” after she was fatally shot at her Quincy, Illinois home on Feb. 23. Police responded to Rebecca’s home to conduct a welfare check after she failed to pick her children up from school. Officers who descended on the scene found her bleeding in the bathroom with a towel underneath her.
Prosecutors this week also unveiled additional evidence linking Timothy to his wife’s murder, pointing specifically to his suspicious internet search history prior to his wife’s murder.
They allege Timothy scoured the internet for instructions on how to craft a homemade silencer, how to remove gunpowder residue, the average police response times for emergencies and “how to open a door with a crowbar,” the Daily Beast reported.
Prosecutors also say that Rebecca messaged a relative before her death, advising that if she ever abruptly died, that Timothy was likely responsible.
RELATED: Former 'Family Feud' Contestant Charged With Murder Of Estranged Wife In Her Illinois Home
Timothy is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in Rebecca’s killing. He’s pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he’s facing life in prison.
Timothy had been separated from his wife for approximately two years prior to her death. They married in 2009. Rebecca had also previously filed a restraining order against her spouse and his father, KHQA-TV reported.
In their opening statements, Timothy’s own defense lawyers, however, painted a very different picture, insisting that the evidence tying their client to his wife’s killing is “inconclusive.”
During pre-trial proceedings, his lawyers insisted a "prowler" was responsible for Rebecca's murder. Last month, they also petitioned the court on his behalf to cover the cost of a private investigator to probe the speculative theory.
Timothy competed on a 2020 episode of Family Feud alongside other family members. During his television appearance, he threw a tongue-in-cheek dig at his now-dead wife.
When Family Feud host Steve Harvey asked Timothy what “the biggest mistake” he made at his wedding was, Bliefnick responded, “Said, 'I do,'” referring to his vows.
Timothy is being held at an Adams County detention center, according to online jail records previously obtained by Oxygen.com.