A nurse shot to death in her Illinois home had previously texted her sister to make sure her former Family Feud participant husband was the first suspect if she was ever found murdered.
Rebecca ‘Becky’ Bliefnick, 41, sent Sarah Reilly a message before she passed away on Feb. 23, warning that she was afraid of her husband Tim Bliefnick, 39, amid their messy divorce and custody battle.
Reilly revealed the disturbing warning Wednesday during chilling testimony at Tim’s murder trial.
“If anything ever happens to me, make sure the number 1 person of interest is Tim,” the text message read, according to Fox news.
“I put this on paper that I am afraid he will somehow harm me, come after me or try to [do] something for me that takes me away from the kids or the kids away from me.”
Tim, who appeared on the Steve Harvey game show in 2020, was arrested in March during the murder investigation.
Tim, who appeared on the Steve Harvey show in 2020, was arrested in March during the murder investigation for his wife Rebecca ‘Becky’ Bliefnick
Rebecca ‘Becky’ Bliefnick, 41, texted her sister Sarah Reilly before she passed away on Feb. 23, warning she was afraid of her husband Tim Bliefnick, 39, amid their messy divorce and custody battle
The new details revealed in court gave prosecutors a behind-the-scenes look at Becky’s fears during her last few days of life.
Becky’s text continued, “He’s already lied multiple times to portray himself as the victim and me as the perpetrator, when it’s definitely the other way around.”
Before the shooting, Tim had taken his wife’s gun and refused to return it, her lawyer revealed.
It’s unclear what weapon was used to shoot Becky 14 times, but defense attorneys claim the killer broke through a second-story window and shot her in a doorway.
According to Fox News, Tim’s lawyers previously revealed that Becky’s neighborhood was stalked leading up to her death.
They claimed to have photos and videos of the perpetrator but have not released them.
“We found evidence that individuals had been stalking the neighborhood in the week leading up to the murder,” his lawyer said.
QPD (Quincy Police Department), to our knowledge, never proceeded to identify or even investigate the complaint.
“We are working with investigators to identify the person or persons we have photos and videos of.”
Bliefnick made the comment as a contestant on an episode of Family Feud hosted by Steve Harvey and broadcast in January 2020. Harvey joked that his response would get him in trouble.
Rebecca and Tim are believed to have been married in 2009 but were going through divorce proceedings at the time of her death, though nothing was finalized
Becky was found dead at her home in Quincy after failing to collect the couple’s children from school.
The couple, who married in 2009, went through a contentious divorce and both had restraining orders filed against each other.
When he was arrested, Bliefnick was “very cooperative” with officers and handed over his keys to the house, which he rents, and his car.
The couple have three sons together, but were living separately at the time of Rebecca’s death, and court documents show their split was filed in February 2021.
Quincy police said the murder was an unusual act of domestic violence in an otherwise safe city.
The couple have three sons together, but were living separately at the time of her death, and court documents show their split was filed in February 2021.
Becky was shot 14 times, but according to defense lawyers, the killer broke through a second-story window and shot her dead in a doorway. In the photo: Becky’s house
Bliefnick and his estranged wife lived only a few blocks apart. He was arrested from his home on Monday
Footage of Tim on Family Feud resurfaced during the murder trial.
On the show, he joked with host Steve Harvey that one’s “biggest marriage mistake” was probably getting married in the first place.
“Honey, I love you,” Bliefnick said, turning to his wife, before adding cautiously, “Said, ‘I do’?” His reaction brought laughter and sobs from the crowd and a blank stare from Harvey.
The episode was filmed in fall 2019, but aired in spring 2020, according to ABC.
Family Feud requires contestants to guess the most common answers to questions. After Bliefnick gave his answer to the biggest marriage mistake question, Harvey gave him a judgmental look.
Not my fault, not my fault. I love my wife,’ Bliefnick said. “I’m going to have a problem with that, isn’t it?”
“It’s going to be hell paying at your place,” Harvey replied. “The only chance this has of maybe being OK at the wait party is if it’s on the board, and it has to be number two or three.”
“Because if it’s number seven and only two people have said it, then you’re in the asshole category,” Harvey added.
But Bliefnick’s guess was right, as regretting the marriage was the second most common answer to the question. Of the 100 people who were asked the question, 20 turned out to have given that answer.