‘Family Feud’ Contestant Who Joked About Regretting Marriage Sentenced To Life In Prison For Wife’s Murder

Former Family Feud contestant Timothy Bliefnick, who infamously joked about regretting marriage while on air, was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for the murder of his wife, Rebecca.

He received three life sentences stemming from two counts of first-degree murder and one for home invasion, per local news station KHQA.

The judge sentenced him with “natural life” in prison, meaning there will be no opportunity for parole, credit for time served, or possibility of release.

“You researched this murder. You planned this murder. You practiced this murder,” said Judge Robert Adrian to Bliefnick in a video from the Illinois courtroom. “You broke into her house and you shot her 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 times. I don’t know how long it took you to do that. 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.”

Bliefnick declined to make a statement at the sentencing, which comes two months after the 40-year-old was found guilty for killing his estranged wife on February 23. The Bliefnicks were in the midst of a divorce at the time of the murder.

According to the Associated Press, Rebecca Bliefnick was found by a family member after being shot to death inside her home. She hadn’t arrived to pick up her children from school that day.

Bliefnick appeared on Family Feud more than three years ago, prompting the audience to gasp in response to one of his answers. He was competing on the game show with some family members, not including his wife, and 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?”

Rebecca Bliefnick’s obituary reads that she was a registered nurse and mother of three who was nominated for a DAISY Award, which recognizes nurses who administer exceptional care, in 2020.