The Illinois man accused of fatally shooting his estranged wife, an award-winning nurse and mother of three, previously appeared on "Family Feud" and joked that his "biggest mistake" was getting married.
Timothy Bliefnick, who police say shot and killed Rebecca Bliefnick in her home in Quincy, Illinois, before she was found on Feb. 23, appeared on an episode of "Family Feud" with his parents and siblings three years ago.
Bliefnick Joked that Getting Married was His 'Biggest Mistake'
"What's your biggest mistake you made at your wedding?," host Steve Harvey asked in an episode that aired in January 2020. "Honey, I love you, but, 'said I do,'" Bliefnick replied, prompting a mix of laughs and gasps from the crowd.
"Not my mistake, not my mistake — I love my wife," Bliefnick immediately back-peddled. "I'm gonna get in trouble for that, aren't I?"
The episode had been taped in the fall of 2019, according to the local ABC affiliate. Watch the segment below:
Becky Had Obtained Restraining Order Against Timothy Amid Divorce
Bliefnick, through his attorney Casey Schnack, has maintained his innocence in his wife's slaying. Rebecca's bullet-riddled body was found after she failed to pick up their three kids from school.
Timothy, 39, of Quincy, was arrested Monday morning and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of a home invasion, police said. He is accused of breaking into Rebecca's Kentucky Road home and shooting her to death.
Bliefnick and Rebecca were married in 2009, but had been separated for several years and were going through divorce proceedings at the time of Rebecca's death. Rebecca had filed a restraining order against Bliefnick and his father.
Bliefnick's Lawyer Says it was Just a 'Harmless' Joke'
Schnack told Fox News that the "Family Feud" remark was a harmless quip and had nothing to do with the couple's eventual decision to separate. "It's a game show," she said. "A silly answer to a silly question on a silly show doesn't make one a murderer."
A hearing was scheduled for Wednesday to determine where the couple's three sons could be placed following their mother's death and father's incarceration. The family has set up a GoFundMe campaign for their care and to create a scholarship in Becky's honor.
