Charged With Wife's Murder, His Family Feud Joke Now Looks Bad

UPDATE May 31, 2023 2:30 AM CDT

The former Family Feud contestant charged with murdering his estranged wife is on trial, and prosecutors on Wednesday said that Timothy Bliefnick had searched for "how to make a homemade silencer," "how to open a door with a crowbar," "how to wash off gunpowder," and the average response time of the local police department, KFOR reports. A text message Bliefnick's ex, Becky, sent her sister before her death was also read in court: "If something ever happens to me, make sure the number one person of interest is Tim. I am putting this in writing that I’m fearful he will somehow harm me." Becky Bliefnick had also reportedly told family and friends she was planning to change the locks and feared her husband would kill her to ensure their three sons "chose" him as the couple was in the process of a divorce, ABC News reports.

Mar 17, 2023 1:30 AM CDT

A man who appeared on Family Feud with his parents and brothers is now accused of murdering his wife—which makes a cringe-inducing answer he gave on the game show even more questionable in retrospect. Becky Bliefnick, 41, was found fatally shot in her Illinois home in February, and now her estranged husband, Tim, has been arrested and charged with her murder. Appearing on Family Feud with his family in 2020 (in an episode recorded in 2019), Tim Bliefnick was asked by host Steve Harvey about the "biggest mistake you made at your wedding." His answer: "Honey, I love you, but, ‘said I do.'" The response from the audience was a mixture of gasps and laughter, and Bliefnick said to Harvey, "Not my mistake, not my mistake—I love my wife. I'm gonna get in trouble for that, aren't I?"

A relative found Becky Bliefnick dead on Feb. 23 after she failed to pick up the three children she shares with Tim Bliefnick from school, WGEM reports. Tim Bliefnick's rental home and car were searched on March 1, and he was charged with murder this week. The couple had started the divorce process in February 2021, Muddy River News reports. But Bliefnick's lawyer tells People her client, who has no history of violence, will plead not guilty. "He was active in the community. He was a youth football coach. He was actively involved in his church here. A lot of people knew him. ... He's your standard, all-American, Midwestern dad." He had also taken to posting "dad jokes" on TikTok on an account that has since been set to private, Fox News reports; view one that's about as cringe-inducing as his Family Feud answer here. (More Illinois stories.)