A Quincy man has been detained by Illinois police in connection with the shooting death of his estranged wife, a three-time award-winning nurse who was discovered dead in her own home last month.
On February 23, Becky Bliefnick, 41, was found inside her house.
At a news conference on Monday, Quincy Police Chief Adam Yates announced the arrest and noted that the public’s cooperation was “essential” to the investigation.
“At 8:24 this morning, Quincy Police Department detectives and members of the department’s emergency response team arrested 39-year-old Timothy W. Bliefnick, of Quincy, for a no-bond warrant on two counts of first-degree murder and home invasion for the murder of Rebecca Bliefnick,” he said.
Yates reported that he was apprehended without a hitch at his Kentucky Road residence, where police had executed a search warrant on March 1. Almost a mile separates the house from the scene of his estranged wife’s fatal shooting.
“This brutal crime has had the Quincy community on edge and our residents living in fear,” Yates said. “I hope today’s announcement can begin to calm some of those concerns.”
Authorities further stated that they did not think the incident was the result of random violence but rather was a result of domestic abuse.
Casey Schnack, Bliefnick’s solicitor, said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Monday that she had spoken with Bliefnick and other members of his family and was putting together a number of court files “to safeguard his interests and maintain his constitutional rights.”
She also addressed reports that Becky Bliefnick had sought an order of protection prior to her death.
“Seeking an OP in a divorce is not uncommon gameplay in Adams County,” she said. “The state’s attorney’s office needs a narrative. It appears that domestic violence is that narrative.”
In a statement last week, a family spokesperson announced a GoFundMe campaign in support of her three sons, who have been staying with their father, and for a scholarship in her name.
“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.”
It was a divorce proceeding between the couple.
Anybody with information about the crime is urged to contact the police at 217-228-4470 or call the Quincy Area Crime Stoppers programme anonymously at 217-228-4474.
According to an online obituary, Becky Bliefnick was a mainstay of the neighbourhood her entire life.
