Bliefnick held without bond, will make first appearance in court Tuesday afternoon

QUINCY — Quincy Police Chief Adam Yates said the evidence in the case of Rebecca Bliefnick’s death pointed Quincy Police detectives in the direction of her estranged husband after days of conducting the investigation.

“We looked at all leads and information from the public, and after following the evidence, this is what led to the arrest,” Yates said during a Monday morning press conference after the arrest of Tim Bliefnick, 39, of Quincy.

Quincy Police Department detectives and members of the department’s Emergency Response Team arrested Bliefnick without incident at 8:23 a.m. Monday at the 2528 Kentucky Road home. He has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion. He was transported to the Adams County Jail and is lodged there on a no-bond warrant.

Assistant State’s Attorney Josh Jones said Tim Bliefnick is scheduled to be in court at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Rebecca Bliefnick, 41, was found shot to death in her home at 2528 Kentucky Road on Feb. 23.

“Since that day, detectives with the Quincy Police Department have been working non-stop, gathering information, collecting evidence and piecing together the events that led to Ms. Bliefnick’s death,” Yates said.

“A great deal of work went into getting to this point in the investigation,” Yates said. “I want to thank Adams County State’s Attorney Gary Farha for the support his office has provided. Since the discovery of Ms. Bliefnick’s body on Feb. 23, Lead Trial Attorney Josh Jones and Assistant State’s Attorney Laura Keck have been working alongside our investigators, which is critical during complex investigations.

“I also want to thank Adams County Sheriff Tony Grootens and his deputies, as well as the Illinois State
Police investigators and forensic scientists, who have provided their support, personnel, resources and
expertise over the last 19 days. More than anything I want to commend the Quincy Police Department Investigative division, under the command of Lt. Kathy Schisler, Sgt. Bryan Dusch and Sgt. James Brown, for the extraordinary work they have done over the last two-plus weeks. Our detectives and detective supervisors have worked long hours, weekends and off days, putting the pieces of this investigation together.

“There is much work yet to be done and the investigation continues, but today’s development is a significant step forward in the search for justice for Rebecca.”

Jones said Monday’s development was “an important first step” in the investigation. He said the incident was not a random act of violence.

“This is an act of domestic violence,” he said. “Every victim needs to be seen, heard and believed. While our thoughts and prayers are with Rebecca Bliefnick’s family and her children, our focus and efforts remain on bringing her murderer to justice.”

Brown, the youth detective supervisor for the Quincy Police Department, said the concern for the Bliefnicks’ three children has been a priority throughout the investigation.

“The incident was hotlined to DCFS (the Department of Child and Family Services), and a DCFS agent is making contact with the children with one of our QPD investigators,” Brown said. “It will be up to DCFS to start working on what happens from here with the kids, since Mr. Bliefnick has no bond, at least today.

“DCFS and and a QPD detective are with the children. They contacted the children at St. Peter School this morning shortly after Tim’s arrest. It’s kind of in the hands of DCFS at this point.”

Yates said there are no other suspects in the Bliefnick case at this time. However, he said the investigation is ongoing, and the community should still be vigilant.

“This brutal crime has had the Quincy community on edge and our residents living in fear,” he said. “I hope today’s announcement can begin to calm some of those concerns. That said, it is a good reminder to not become complacent. Make sure you lock your doors, turn on exterior lights, be aware of your surroundings and report suspicious activity to the police. These are things we should always do. We must look out for one another and work together to make Quincy as safe as possible.”

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: An earlier version of this report misidentified the home Bliefnick was arrested in. We regret the error.