A previous contestant on Family Feud, known for making a disturbing joke during the show, has now been sentenced to life imprisonment for killing his estranged wife.
Timothy Bliefnick, who appeared on the popular game show in 2020, left audiences surprised when he made a comment about his marriage during a segment with host Steve Harvey.
This moment, which was met with groans and uneasy laughter at the time, has resurfaced with a deeper impact due to the tragic events that followed.
In the episode, Harvey asked: “What’s the biggest mistake you made at your wedding?”
Bliefnick responded from the podium: “Honey, I love you, but ‘Said I Do’.”
He quickly clarified: “Not my mistake, not my mistake – I love my wife,” in an effort to lessen the impact of his answer.
Three years later, his wife, Rebecca Bliefnick, who was a nurse and mother of their three children, was found murdered at her residence in Quincy, Illinois.
As the couple was undergoing a divorce, prosecutors disclosed that Bliefnick meticulously planned and carried out her murder during a home invasion in February 2023.
Bliefnick was taken into custody in March 2023, facing charges of first-degree murder and home invasion.
During his trial in May, details emerged that he had extensively researched how to commit the crime, looking up information on breaking into a home and police response times.
Judge Robert Adrian, who handed down the life sentence, strongly criticized Bliefnick’s actions, saying: “Mr. Bliefnick, you researched this murder. You planned this murder. You practiced this murder. You broke into her house and shot her 14 times.”
The judge emphasized the brutal nature of the crime, particularly noting that the couple’s children were asleep at Bliefnick’s home during the murder.
“I don’t know how long it took you to do that, but some of those shots were fired while she was lying on the ground and you did all of that while your children were upstairs at your house, lying snug in their beds,” the judge added.
Rebecca’s father discovered her lifeless body on the bathroom floor of her home.
Documents filed in Adams County revealed that she had sought an order of protection against Bliefnick in 2021.
Reflecting on his comment from Family Feud during an episode of CBS’ 48 Hours, Bliefnick stated that he “did not murder” his wife, claiming: “It wasn’t said with any malice or bad intentions. It was supposed to be funny.”