‘You replaced their mother’s love with emotional scars’: Timothy Bliefnick sentenced to life in prison

QUINCY (WGEM) - Timothy Bliefnick, the Quincy man convicted of breaking into his estranged wife’s home on Kentucky Road and shooting her to death, was sentenced Friday afternoon to natural life in prison by Adams County Judge Robert Adrian.

“Mr. Bliefnick, you researched this murder, you planned this murder, you practiced this murder, you broke into her house and you shot her,” Adrian said. “Some of those shots were fired while she was laying on the ground and you did all of that while your children were upstairs at your house, laying snug in their beds.”

The court heard several victim impact statements ahead of the sentencing.

Rebecca Bliefnick’s mother, Bernie Postle, addressed Timothy Bliefnick while sitting next to Adams County Assistant State’s Attorney Josh Jones.

“You replaced their mother’s love with emotional scars and trauma,” Postle said.

Rebecca Bliefnick’s brother-in-law, Brett Reilly, asked whether Timothy Bliefnick took into account what effects his actions would have on the couple’s three sons.

“Did you think about 12-year-old Deacon as you broke through his window?” Reilly asked. “Did you think about 10-year-old Grayson as you charged down his hallway, chasing his defenseless mommy en route to slaughter his entire world?”

Following the statements, Jones asked Adrian to sentence Timothy Bliefnick to life in prison.

“On Aug. 11, 2023, I ask this court to show the same mercy he showed Becky Bliefnick when he left her alone on that cold bathroom floor paralyzed from the waist down, unable to breathe because a bullet had pierced her lung,” Jones said.

Defense attorney Casey Schnack asked Adrian to consider Timothy Bliefnick’s behavior prior to the Feb. 23 shooting. She asked Adrian consider the defendant’s college education, full-time employment, financial stability and clean criminal record before making a decision.

“The court cannot ignore the things that Tim has done in his life that were positive,” Schnack said.

Nearly 50 witnesses testified and nearly 200 pieces of evidence were introduced during the trial.

Prior to sentencing, Schnack asked Adrian to set aside the verdict or order a new trial, arguing Google searches made on the defendant’s phone and laptop that were introduced as evidence were never proven to be made by the defendant. She also argued hearsay statements that were introduced were “impossible to cross examine” during trial.

Adrian denied Schnack’s motion, noting that Bliefnick’s phone and laptop was password protected and were in his custody.

Timothy Bliefnick was arrested March 13, about three weeks after Rebecca Bliefnick was found dead at her Kentucky Road home.

The couple had been married 14 years. Timothy Bliefnick filed for divorce in January 2021, and a hearing in that matter had been scheduled for the week after the murder.

For the two counts of first-degree murder, Timothy Bliefnick faced between 20 and 60 years per count, with a 25-year to natural life extension because it was committed with a firearm. The same goes for the one count of home invasion. All three life sentences are combined to one natural life sentence.

He has 30 days to appeal.

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