Family Feud contestant who joked about marriage on show found guilty of murdering wife
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Quincy Police Department Booking photo of Tim Bliefnick
Timothy "Tim" W. Bliefnick, a former Family Feud contestant who made an infamous quip about marriage while appearing on the game show, has been found guilty of first-degree murder and home invasion in the Feb. 23 killing of his estranged wife, Rebecca Bliefnick.
Bliefnick is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 11 and faces up to life in prison. According to Court TV, the Quincy, Ill., jury deliberated for about four hours before returning a verdict Wednesday. Casey Schnack, Bliefnick's defense attorney, said they planned to appeal and were "disappointed" with the jury's verdict but ultimately respected the decision.
Per the Associated Press, a family member found Rebecca Bliefnick shot to death inside her home after she didn't show up to pick up her children from school. At the time of her death, the Bliefnicks were going through a divorce.
The conviction comes three years after Tim Bliefnick drew gasps from a Family Feud audience for one of his answers. Appearing on the popular game show with some family members, not including his wife, he was asked by host Steve Harvey, "What's the biggest mistake you made at your wedding?"
"Honey, I love you," Bliefnick prefaced. "But… Said 'I do.'"
When the audience loudly reacted to his words, Bliefnick remarked, "Not my mistake! I love my wife." He jokingly added, "I'm going to get in trouble for that, aren't I?"
According to an obituary for Rebecca Bliefnick, she was a mother of three who worked as a registered nurse. She was nominated for a DAISY Award, which celebrates nurses who administer exceptional care, in 2020.
A GoFundMe campaign was created in the hopes of establishing a scholarship fund in her name and helping with family expenses related to her death and the future care of her children.
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