In 2024, the limited series Bad Romance, featured on 20/20, explored the tragic story of Tim and Rebecca “Becky” Bliefnick. Their public presence began on the TV game show Family Feud in 2020, where Tim’s lighthearted comment about his wedding foreshadowed darker events to come. Between that appearance and Becky’s death in 2023, their relationship had taken a darker turn, marked by allegations of abuse and harassment.
Despite their separation and pursuit of a divorce, tragedy struck when Becky was shot and killed, leading to Tim’s arrest just a few weeks later. The prosecution argued that jealousy drove Tim to commit the murder after witnessing Becky with another man. Tim’s defense, however, claimed reasonable doubt and suggested the possibility of an intruder being responsible for the crime.
In August 2023, Tim Bliefnick was convicted of killing his wife and received three life sentences without parole. He was subsequently incarcerated at the Graham Correctional Center, a Level 4 medium-security adult male prison in Illinois. During Tim’s sentencing hearing, Judge Robert Adrian highlighted the premeditated nature of the crime, emphasizing the extensive planning and execution.
The couple, Tim and Becky Bliefnick, had three sons aged between 5 and 12 at the time of Becky’s death. As Judge Adrian noted, the children were present in Tim’s house on the night of the incident. Following their mother’s murder, Becky’s sister, Sarah Reilly, mentioned that the children were coping with the support of family, friends, and the community. While it was suggested that the three boys might be in Reilly’s custody, concrete information about their whereabouts was not publicly available at the time of the report.
