Illinois sheriff warns SAFE-T Act is 'very concerning' for law enforcement
Franklin County, Illinois Sheriff Kyle Bacon explains the possible impacts of the controversial SAFE-T Act that recently took effect in his state.
An Illinois judge ordered Timothy Bliefnick held without bail Tuesday, a day after Quincy police charged him with the murder of his estranged wife, who was found dead in her home with gunshot wounds last month.
The court also granted the prosecution's request for a DNA swab and scheduled Bliefnick's arraignment for March 24.
Police arrested him Monday morning on charges including murder and home invasion causing injury.
Becky Bliefnick, a nurse who shared three sons with her suspected killer, was found dead on Feb. 23 in her house. The couple was undergoing a divorce and lived in separate houses a mile apart.
BECKY BLIEFNICK MURDER: ILLINOIS POLICE ARREST ESTRANGED HUSBAND IN NURSE'S SHOOTING DEATH
The Adams County Jail released this booking photo of Timothy Bliefnick Tuesday, the day he made his first court appearance after Quincy police arrested him in connection with the shooting death of his estranged wife Becky Bliefnick. (Adams County Jail)
His lawyer, Casey Schnack, told Fox News Digital that the boys remained in government custody but were due for a hearing Wednesday to determine whether they could be placed in the care of other relatives.
Prosecutors described the crime Monday as an act of domestic violence, as it happened after Becky Bliefnick sought an order of protection against her estranged husband.
ILLINOIS NURSE REBECCA BLIEFNICK SHOT DEAD, COPS SEARCH ESTRANGED HUSBAND'S HOUSE
Becky Bliefnick pictured with her family on Halloween in 2018. Police said she was found shot to death in her Quincy home on Feb. 23, 2023. (Becky Bliefnick/Facebook)
However, Schnack claimed the move was "not uncommon" and accused prosecutors of attempting to craft a narrative.
Tim Bliefnick, 39, has a colorful past – appearing on an episode of "Family Feud" and posting TikTok videos where he posted at least one bizarre joke about Hispanics, preserved by a Twitter user before his account went private.
"Why did the Mexican man take anxiety medication?" he asked. "I'll wait. Think about it. Nothing? To help with Hispanic attacks."
SLAIN ILLINOIS NURSE BECKY BLIEFNICK LAID TO REST
Then he picked up a mug with writing on it reading, "I'm silently correcting your grammar."
Becky Bliefnick, 41, was a devout Catholic who was given an award from the Daisy Foundation for her work as a nurse at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. She was a homegrown hero, having graduated valedictorian from Quincy Notre Dame High School and gone on to Quincy University.
Rebecca Bliefnick, a 41-year-old nurse and mother of three from Quincy, Illinois, was found shot to death in her home on Feb. 23, 2023. (Becky Bliefnick/Facebook)
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Quincy Police Chief Adam Yates announced the arrest at a Monday news briefing and said that assistance from the public was "key" for investigators.
In a statement last week, a spokesperson for Becky Bliefnick's family announced a GoFundMe campaign in support of her three sons and for a scholarship in her name.
Police search a home and a car outside the home in Quincy, Illinois, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. The home is rented by and the car belongs to Tim Bliefnick, the estranged husband of Rebecca Bliefnick, who was found dead on Feb. 23 in her home. Police reported she had been shot multiple times. He has been charged with her murder. (MuddyRiverNews.com)
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"While we remain heartbroken, we are thankful to the Quincy Police Department and all who have worked tirelessly in service of justice for Becky," the family said Monday. "While the arrest today provides a step towards closure, this journey is far from over and the investigation continues. We are thankful for your continued respect for our privacy as we navigate this next painful chapter. Our highest priority remains protecting and loving Becky's sons who were the lights of her life. As we continue mourning, we will love and care for them in the ways we know she would want."
