A deeper look at evidence revealed in Bliefnick murder trial

QUINCY, Ill. (WGEM) - After more than four hours of deliberation on Wednesday, an Adams County Jury found Timothy Bliefnick guilty on all charges for shooting and killing his estranged wife Rebecca Bliefnick.

Those include two counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Aug. 11.

Prosecutors say they’ll ask for 40-year-old Bliefnick to serve a full life sentence.

“Quincy is not a town where individuals should have to worry about that type of violence,” said Assistant State’s Attorney Josh Jones. “Quincy is not a community where individuals should have to worry about that type of action, as long as Gary Farha is the State’s Attorney, Todd Eyler is the first assistant and I’m involved in the office. We’re going to ask for the maximum penalty when someone does something like this.”

The defense has up to 45 days to file any motions before sentencing.

Timeline of events

As evidence was presented in the six-day jury trial, the prosecution detailed the events leading up to Timothy killing his wife of 14 years by shooting her 14 times.

Jones and fellow Adams County Assistant State’s Attorney Laura Keck relied heavily on evidence that formed an exact timeline of the murder. That timeline is presented below.

2009

Sept. 18

• Timothy Bliefnick and Rebecca Postle get married.

2021

Jan. 21

• Timothy files for divorce. Rebecca is represented by attorney Dennis Woodworth.

May 9

• A text from Rebecca to longtime friend Nicole Bateman: “He told me if I outed his dad that he (Ray) would probably have to move then kill himself [...] I absolutely think he will try to take the kids sometime.”

June 4

• Facebook messages between Rebecca and former coworker Becky Spotts claim Rebecca doesn’t want Timothy’s father to have unsupervised contact with her children ever again.
• Rebecca feared he would secretly run off with the children.
• Messages say Rebecca believes Timothy has “true mental health problems” and is scared to get an Order of Protection.

October

• Timothy Bliefnick’s phone is factory reset.

November

• Rebecca is now represented by Gerald Timmerwilke.
• According to Timmerwilke, Rebecca still does not have a 9mm handgun that she requested Timothy to return to her.
• Sometime this year, Guardian Ad Litem Rick Zimmerman is appointed to the Bliefnick’s divorce case.

Dec. 16

• Rebecca files for an Ordinance of Protection against Timothy’s father.

2022

March 14

• Facebook message from Rebecca to Christine Mandel: “If he doesn’t get it his way he may literally lose his mind.”

August

• A court order claims details how the exchange of children must be made, that Timothy and Rebecca must stay within 3-feet of their cars when exchanging children.

Oct. 10

• A John Smith Facebook account inquires to Michael Blaesing via Timothy’s cell phone about a blue, 26″ Schwinn mountain bike for sale.

Oct. 12

• Timothy Bliefnick inquires via Facebook to Amy Webster about a black Mongoose bike for sale, he purchases the bike.

2023

Jan. 5

• Rebecca sees Melissa Young at TJ MAXX, Young says she appeared mentally exhausted, they talked about Rebecca’s divorce and Rebecca said she felt like Tim could snap at any moment, she said Tim told her “You’ll be dead before you get any of my money.”
• Sometime this month, Timothy asks his neighbor, Bradley Ehmen, if he has any video cameras pointed toward his backyard.

Feb. 10

• Timothy Bliefnick calls Quincy Police. He asked if they could return a 9mm handgun to Rebecca because he didn’t want to give it to her face-to-face, police denied the request.

Feb. 13

• Rebecca’s significant other, Ted Johnson arrives at her home about 11:45 p.m. and stays the night.

Feb. 14

• 12:00 a.m. Timothy’s WHOOP armband loses connection, and his phone is locked.
• 12:00 a.m. to 1 a.m. - video surveillance detects a bicycle rider going past the Quincy bus barn, past a residence at 224 S. 20th Street, and back.
• Rebecca’s next-door neighbor Taylor Heimann receives an alert notification that a moving object was detected in his driveway surveillance camera, the video shows a person walking up and down the driveway.
• 1:10 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. - Laptop search history on Timothy Bliefnick’s shows searches for ”license plate lookup,” “title/registration lookup, VIN check lookup, vehicle records” and the search for Ted Johnson’s exact VIN and license plate number.
  • His WHOOP reconnects.
• 1:32 a.m. - A phone call is made to the Missouri Dept. of Revenue, which handles vehicle registrations.

Feb. 15

• Divorce set for trial on March 3.

Feb. 16 to Feb. 20

• No bicyclist captured on video.

Feb. 19 to 20

• Rebecca stays at a friend’s house prior to an abdominal surgery scheduled that week.

Feb. 21

• 12:45 a.m. - Timothy’s WHOOP arm band disconnects.
• 2:11 a.m. - Timothy’s WHOOP arm band reconnects to his phone. QPS bus barn video surveillance shows a bicycle rider southbound on 20th Street, then going east on Prairie Street, and additional footage captures a bicycle rider heading north on 20th street between these hours.
• 12:30 p.m. - Rebecca returns home.
• Rebecca messages Tim, asking if he can keep the kids overnight for the next two days.
• That evening was the last time Ted Johnson saw Rebecca alive.

Feb. 22

• 12:42 a.m. - Timothy’s WHOOP armband disconnects.
• 2:19 a.m. - Timothy’s WHOOP armband reconnects.
• 2:22 a.m. - Timothy’s phone unlocks.1:20 p.m. - Timothy’s next-door neighbor goes to his house, then leaves about 30 minutes later.
• 1:20 p.m. - Timothy’s next-door neighbor goes to his house, then leaves about 30 minutes later.
• Video surveillance again shows a bike rider going southbound past the Quincy bus barn, turning east on Prairie, then back the other way sometime later.

Feb. 23

• 12:28 a.m. - Timothy’s phone locks.
• 12:36 a.m. - Timothy’s WHOOP arm band disconnects from his phone.
• 12:55 a.m. - Video of a bicyclist rider riding southbound past the bus barn.
• 12:57 a.m. - Video shows the bicyclist turning east on Prairie.
• 1:11 a.m. - Rebecca attempts to call 911, her phone was found behind a bedroom door.
• 1: 12 a.m. - An ADT front door alert said the front door was opened.
• 1:16 a.m. - Video shows a bicycle rider heading northbound past the Quincy bus barn.
• 1:27 a.m. - Another ADT alert said the front door was still open.
• 2:01 a.m. - Timothy’s WHOOP arm band reconnects.
• 2:07 a.m. - Timothy’s phone unlocks.
• 6:45 a.m. - Kentucky Road resident Brian Lash leaves for work and notices Rebecca’s front door is open.
• 7 to 9 a.m. - Kentucky Road resident Amy Schmiedskamp sees Timothy bring a Little Tike’s basketball hoop to his dad’s house.
• 11:51 a.m. - Timothy calls St. Peter School, telling them to not let his three kids walk home to Rebecca’s house.
• 1:50 p.m. - Surveillance shows Timothy arriving at St. Peter School, exactly 57 minutes before school lets out.
• 3:03 p.m. - Timothy texts Rebecca’s father, Bill Postle, asking if he can call her to find out when she’s getting the kids, because he claims the school called him saying no one has picked up the kids.
• 3:30 p.m. - Bill Postle finds Rebecca dead in her home. He goes to neighbor Rolla Wike’s home to use their phone to call 911.
• 3:33 p.m. - QPD Officer Matt Hermsmeier gets dispatched to 2528 Kentucky Road.
• About 4 p.m. - Wike picks up Rebecca’s mother, she calls Tim, and he replies “WHAT!?”
• About 7 p.m. - Ted Johnson is questioned by QPD and given a DNA swab test.

Feb. 27

• Police find an abandoned blue, Schwinn bike by the Quincy Public Schools bus barn.

March 1

• About 8 a.m. - Police search Timothy’s home in the 1600 block of Hampshire Street.

March 13

• About 8 a.m. - Timothy Bliefnick is arrested on Kentucky Road, charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion.

March 14

• Bliefnick makes first court appearance, judge denies bail.

March 15

• Police are seen searching a lagoon on a property owned by Timothy.

March 24

• Bliefnick pleads not guilty.

April 13

• Judge orders up to $10,000 from the county to aid Bliefnick defense.

May 22

• Takes nine hours to finish jury selection.

May 23

• Witness testimony begins in trial.

May 31

• Timothy is found guilty on all counts.

Aug. 11, 1:30 p.m.

• Scheduled date of the sentencing hearing. Prosecutors say they’ll seek a life sentence.

Map of possible bike route used by Timothy

During the trial, the prosecution also showed how Timothy rode a bike (he purchased off of Facebook Marketplace under the name John Smith) from his house to Rebecca’s.

The state utilized surveillance footage from the QPS bus barn, a residence on South 20th Street and Rebecca’s next-door neighbor.

Each of them linked within minutes of each other, including the times Timothy Bliefnick’s phone was locked, his WHOOP Fitness band was disconnected and his laptop didn’t make a search.

That bike was then abandoned in an ally by the Quincy Public School Bus Barn, a block from TImothy’s home.

The map below shows the possible route and the position of the security cameras.

Evidence presented by the state

The state exhibited over 200 pieces of evidence and heard from 46 witnesses. The defense exhibited no evidence and presented no witnesses.

Video gallery of trial coverage and full trial

Related links

• Jury finds Bliefnick guilty on all counts, prosecutors seek life sentence
• Prosecution focuses on lab results, surveillance video, device data Tuesday in Bliefnick trial
• Jurors see autopsy results, Tim’s search history on day 4 of Bliefnick trial
• Prosecutors focus on evidence collection for day 3 of Bliefnick trial
• Bliefnick divorce details come out during day 2 of jury trial
• 11 witnesses testify, Bliefnick murder trial resumes Wednesday
• Jurors selected, Bliefnick trial starts Tuesday
• Jury selection begins in Bliefnick trial
• Bliefnick makes final court appearance ahead of Monday’s jury selection
• Judge denies motion to unseal records, hearings in Bliefnick murder trial
• Bliefnick trial remains on schedule for May 22
• No decision yet on push to unseal motions in Bliefnick murder trial
• Judge Adrian approves petition from local media, sets hearing date
• WGEM joins news outlets seeking to unseal Bliefnick trial documents
• Judge orders up to $10,000 from county to aid Bliefnick defense
• Bliefnick pleads not guilty to murder of estranged wife
• Police search lagoon on Bliefnick-owned property
• Friend of victim: “She was a ray of light”
• Bliefnick makes first court appearance, judge denies bail
• Estranged husband of homicide victim charged with murder
• Police search estranged husband’s home as part of investigation into wife′s death
• Kentucky Road death investigation continues
• Quincy Police share more information about homicide investigation
• Quincy police conduct death investigation

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