Post Mortem | The Game Show and the Killer

Summary

Podcast Summary: 48 Hours Post Mortem | "The Game Show and the Killer"

Episode Date: September 9, 2025
Host: Ann Marie Green
Guests: Erin Moriarty (correspondent), Stephanie Slipher (producer)

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Main Theme

This episode of "48 Hours Post Mortem" follows the CBS News team’s deep dive into the killing of Becky Bliefnik, a nurse and mother of three, in Quincy, Illinois—allegedly at the hands of her estranged husband, Tim Bleifnik, who gained notoriety for an ominous joke made on "Family Feud" years prior. The team unpacks the intersection of media sensation, hidden domestic abuse, complex investigative twists, and the ripple effect on the surviving family.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "Family Feud" Factor (02:34 – 06:05)

• The case hit national headlines after Tim’s old "Family Feud" joke (“What’s your biggest wedding day regret?” “Saying ‘I do’,” [02:54]) resurfaced after Becky’s murder.
• Both the media and public attention were fueled by this moment, but prosecutors stated it had “nothing to do with the case” and never intended to use it in court.
• Stephanie Slipher: “It was an unfortunate coincidence, but… most people at the time even thought it was just a joke. Becky’s sister told us she wasn’t really bothered by it at the time.” ([05:23])

2. The Bliefniks: Behind Closed Doors (06:05 – 13:25)

• Outward appearances portrayed a “perfect family,” but the reality was a toxic, unraveling marriage.
• Ann Marie Green: “Perfect families fall apart… It would seem like it should not have ended like this.” ([06:05])
• The divorce was contentious, with allegations of control and emotional abuse.
• Both parties sought orders of protection with contrasting narratives about threats and combative behavior. The producers sought to relay these with unbiased context.
  • Erin Moriarty: “When I saw [the video submitted for order of protection], I saw a woman who was upset that he was photographing her… I didn’t see, in my view… her threatening him. I saw a very frustrated woman.” ([12:10])

3. The Victim’s Fears and Hidden Abuse (13:25 – 16:18)

• Becky’s warnings were documented in texts: “If something ever happens to me, please make sure the number one person of interest is Tim.” ([13:48])
• Eight people testified to Becky’s fears—she’d confided in many about her concern that Tim could harm her.
• Erin Moriarty: “Sometimes abuse doesn’t end up with bruises… Becky was seeing something that her friends and neighbors… didn’t see.” ([14:26])
• Stephanie Slipher: “Becky was shouting from the rooftops… she had a feeling something bad was going to happen.” ([15:14])

4. The Interview with Tim Bleifnik (07:00 – 11:00)

• Gaining the interview involved months of outreach and persistence, culminating in a surprise in-person meeting at the jail—a rarity for the town.
• Stephanie Slipher: “He was still hesitant at first… but I got a text message… it was him. Yes, he can text from jail.” ([08:55])
• Tim was “very well spoken,” but avoided discussing any evidence and maintained his innocence.
• Erin Moriarty: “He said several times that he did not kill his wife… but he was a very, very controlled interview, and that didn’t quite match the evidence that we know.” ([09:45])

5. Crime Scene, Evidence, and Digital Traces (18:18 – 27:43)

• The case moved to trial within 90 days, an unusually fast timeline. This posed a unique challenge for prosecution.
• Digital evidence played a key role:
  • Tim’s fitness tracker (‘Whoop’) stopped logging data during the time of the murder, coinciding with blurry surveillance footage of someone biking to and from Becky’s house.
    • Stephanie Slipher: “His whoop accounted for every second of every day, except for the time at which that person was seen on the driveway video and when that person was seen on the bike. And that was big.” ([20:17])
  • Investigators combed through “1.5 million pieces of data” from the tracker. ([20:17])
• Surveillance video, while inconclusive about identity, combined with behavior and timeline strengthened prosecution’s case.
• Web searches from Tim’s devices included “how to wash gunpowder off your hands,” “average Quincy police department response time,” and “how to make a homemade silencer for a gun.”
  • Ann Marie Green: “Not a typical Google search.” ([26:57])
• Tim also searched, “does my whoop record the times I wear it?” ([28:26])

6. Jury Deliberations and Verdict (22:14 – 24:36)

• Jurors noticed similarities between Tim’s walk and the figure in the video; this, alongside shell casing ballistics, heavily influenced their decision. ([22:28])
• There was a holdout juror, with lengthy deliberation due to a lack of direct evidence.
• Ultimately, direct forensic evidence (27 matching shell casings) and behavior tipped the verdict.
• Tim did not testify, possibly due to risk of cross-examination about his incriminating internet searches and obsessive behavior following Becky’s new relationship.

7. Emotional Courtroom Moments & Aftermath (28:40 – 32:33)

• The trial deeply affected both families. The children lost both parents—one to death, one to life imprisonment.
  • Erin Moriarty: “You have the bride’s family on one side and the husband’s family on the other… But this time… it’s the state, the prosecution, and the defense. That’s really heartbreaking.” ([29:26])
• Becky’s sister’s impact statement:
  • “Maybe you should have googled childhood PTSD in between your internet searches for homemade silencers and VIN numbers.” ([30:39])
• Stephanie Slipher: “Her sister… was able to look directly at Tim the entire time. When she actually walked off the stand, she stared directly at Tim’s parents—certainly a tense moment in the courtroom.” ([31:00])

8. Lessons and Broader Implications (32:10 – 35:20)

• The headline-grabbing "Family Feud" angle allowed Becky's family to raise awareness of hidden abuse.
  • Erin Moriarty: “If this case has gotten national attention because of Tim’s answer on Family Feud, [we need] to go beyond the humor… There’s a real serious message… about hidden abuse.” ([32:10])
• Not all abuse leaves visible signs—a recurring theme in victim testimonies and prosecutorial argument.
• Stephanie Slipher: “They want people to learn from Becky’s story… If anybody’s in a position like Becky, [her family hopes] they’ll find a way to make themselves safe.” ([32:33])
• Tim is appealing his conviction, partly due to the admission of third-party testimony regarding Becky’s statements about fearing for her safety—raising legal questions about hearsay and confrontation rights. ([34:02])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ann Marie Green: “Perfect families fall apart. You know, marriages don’t always work out… It would seem like it should not have ended like this.” ([06:05])
• Becky’s Sister: “If something ever happens to me, please make sure the number one person of interest is Tim.” ([13:48])
• Erin Moriarty: “You can have abuse without bruises. That’s what the prosecution said.” ([34:02])
• Becky’s Sister (Victim Impact Statement): “Maybe you should have googled childhood PTSD in between your internet searches for homemade silencers and VIN numbers.” ([30:39])
• Stephanie Slipher: “They want people to learn from Becky’s story… making sure that the person you’re scared of knows you’ve told people… Don’t let there be an opportunity for something like this to happen.” ([32:33])

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Recap of the Case: 02:34 – 03:45
• The "Family Feud" Joke’s Role: 03:45 – 06:05
• Family & Interview Set-Up: 07:00 – 11:00
• Hidden Abuse / Becky’s Warnings: 13:25 – 16:18
• Trial Timeline & Forensic Evidence: 18:18 – 24:36
• Jury Insights & Deliberations: 22:14 – 24:36
• Courtroom Impact Statements: 28:40 – 32:33
• Appeal and Legal Issues: 34:02 – 35:20

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Tone and Reflection

The conversation was sober and reflective, mixing journalistic rigor with empathy for the families. Both host and guests underscored the gap between appearances and reality in domestic violence cases and the importance of vigilance and communication among loved ones.

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Closing Thoughts

This episode is more than a sensational crime story—it is a sobering lesson about the forms domestic abuse can take, the inadequacy of “red flag” stereotypes, and the tragic consequences that can result. Listeners are encouraged to look past surface details and understand the seriousness of emotional and psychological abuse, as well as the importance of heeding victims’ warnings—even when they don’t fit familiar narratives.

Transcript

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[Ann Marie Green]

I'm Ann Marie Green and welcome to 48 Hours Postmortem. This week we're talking to the team behind the 48 Hours episode called the Game show and the Murder. Joining me today are 48 Hours correspondent Erin Moriarty and producer Stephanie Slipher. Thank you so much for joining us.

[Stephanie Slipher]

Thank you for having us.

[Erin Moriarty]

Yeah. And we love talking about this case because we've spent last few months talking about this case.

[Ann Marie Green]

We should get into it. Listen, if you are a true crime junkie or if you have any interest in true crime, you'll remember when this case came out because it was a headline built for the tabloids. Just in case people can't remember, here's a quick recap.

[Erin Moriarty]

Tim Blevnik was arrested and charged in March 2023 with murdering his estranged wife. Becky Blevnik, the nurse and mother of three was found shot multiple times in her Quincy, Illinois home after the arrest. An answer he gave on the game show Family Feud Years earlier, got people talking.

[Tim Bleifnik]

The question was, what is the number one regret that people have from their wedding day? And you said, I said saying I do. It was supposed to be funny.

[Erin Moriarty]

Prosecutors Josh Jones and Laura Keck say it wasn't the game show. It was other evidence that led them to Tim Bleifnik. The couple had been going through a contentious divorce, and Becky had told family and friends that she feared Tim might harm her.

[Tim Bleifnik]

The idea of murdering someone, let alone the mother of my kids, is not any part of who I am.

[Erin Moriarty]

And there was this surveillance video of a person riding a bike in the direction of Becky's house right before the murder and in the opposite direction right after. Prosecutors believe it's Tim Bleifnik. But there's one big problem. I mean, you can't see whether it's male, female. It's terrible.

[Becky's Sister]

The video's terrible.

[Stephanie Slipher]

That's not Tim in that video. You can't tell who it is.

[Erin Moriarty]

Casey Schnock is Tim Bleifnik's defense attorney.

[Stephanie Slipher]

There were prowlers in the area.

[Erin Moriarty]

It wasn't a random prowler.

[Tim Bleifnik]

It was an execution.

[Ann Marie Green]

So this small town case gained national attention in large part due to an answer Tim gave on an episode, A Family Feud. And while there's no connection between the murder and the show, is this how the case first got on your radar? Is this what piqued your interest?

[Erin Moriarty]

Well, I think we were like everybody else when you realize that three years earlier, before his wife is killed, he's making this offhanded remark about the regret he had on his wedding day, was saying, I do. But of course, he was picking a very good answer for Family Feud.

[Ann Marie Green]

It was a good answer, right?

[Erin Moriarty]

It was. It turned out to be like the one.

[Stephanie Slipher]

He was number two on the board.

[Ann Marie Green]

No.

[Erin Moriarty]

Yes. So, I mean, he really was playing the game, Right.

[Ann Marie Green]

But.

[Erin Moriarty]

But really, I think the reason why I wanted to do it is that this was the perfect family. When you looked at it from the outside, this beautiful couple with these three adorable kids living in Quincy, Illinois, you know, just the heart of. Of the Midwest. And they seem to have it all. So when I go into these kind of stories, I think, do they really have it right? Would. Would this man really throw his entire life away? It didn't make sense because these kids would lose both their mom and their dad. It didn't make sense. So that's what drew me to it.

[Ann Marie Green]

Yeah. What about you, Stephanie?

[Stephanie Slipher]

Absolutely. I agree with what Erin said. I mean, of course, it came on our radar because of the Family feud connection, that's what brought it to the top of the headlines. But we very quickly realized it was about a lot more. And in fact, when we went and met with the prosecutors, they even told us it has nothing to do with the case. It never factored into the prosecution. They never had plans to bring it up in court. In fact, the prosecutor said to us he felt it would have been denigrating to the case that they were putting together. So it was an unfortunate coincidence, but it had happened many years earlier. And, you know, most people at the time even thought it was just a joke. Becky's sister told us she wasn't really bothered by it at the time.

[Ann Marie Green]

I think one of the things that kind of bothered me watching this is precisely what you said, Aaron, that this looked like a perfect family. But you know what? Perfect families fall apart. You know, marriages don't always work out. He says that she was under too much pressure, she was taking on too much. She says he was controlling. It wasn't working out, he left. He was getting everything that he wanted. And it would seem like it should not have ended like this.

[Erin Moriarty]

It didn't make sense. People get divorced all the time and it doesn't end in murder.

[Stephanie Slipher]

And Aaron asked him in the interview, you know, you filed for divorce. Why not just end it? Why have this drag out? And he didn't really want to get into the details of that for whatever reason.

[Ann Marie Green]

So how did you manage to get this interview with Tim?

[Stephanie Slipher]

It took a lot of patience and perseverance. We started by sending Tim a letter and we did not hear anything back after that. And then we went to town for the trial and to begin conducting interviews. We developed a relationship with his defense attorney. And, you know, we had mentioned to her repeatedly that we were interested in talking to Tim. We always are interested in talking to all sides in every story that we cover. And she indicated to us that she didn't think it was going to happen. He wasn't really up for speaking. And while we were in town, you know, the jail is right across the street from her office. And I said to her, do you mind if we just try to go visit him? And she said, sure, go try. So Aaron and I and our field producer Gabby walked across to the jail. We went in, we met with the sheriff who runs the jail.

[Ann Marie Green]

I thought you usually have to make appointments ahead of time or requests.

[Erin Moriarty]

This is Quincy, Illinois.

[Ann Marie Green]

Okay.

[Erin Moriarty]

This is a wonderful, but small town. Just a wonderful town.

[Stephanie Slipher]

But we got lucky, though, because they weren't even allowing in person visits it was all like video visits that they were doing at the jail. But we met with the sheriff, and he agreed to let us meet with Tim in person that day. So he had his deputy lead us downstairs, brought us into a room, and next thing you know, we were face to face with Tim, and he wants to talk.

[Erin Moriarty]

Well, wait a minute.

[Stephanie Slipher]

When he was surprised to see us.

[Erin Moriarty]

He was surprised to see us. When he walked out and saw all of us there, I think he, for a second thought, oh, what did I just get into? But Stephanie stayed really in contact with him. And I think Stephanie was very successful in explaining. Look, he did not speak at all during his trial. This was an opportunity for him to say what he wanted to say to the American public.

[Stephanie Slipher]

Yeah, I mean, he was still hesitant at first, even after we met with him. He didn't want to commit to anything then and there. But I think it was that night when we got home from Illinois, and I got a text message on my phone, and it was him. Yes, he can text from jail. It was bizarre. We had never seen that. I had never seen that before, at least. But in this jail, he had access to some sort of a tablet, and he could text anytime. And so I received a text saying, hi, Stephanie, it's Tim. And I was, wow. And we just. We continued talking from there. And ultimately he decided he did want to talk to us.

[Ann Marie Green]

So during this interview, Aaron, I found myself watching your face as much as I was watching him. What did you think of him? How did you feel about how that interview went?

[Erin Moriarty]

Well, one of the first things, and I think you've run into this, too, whenever you interview somebody who's in jail or prison, you want to keep them in the seat. And it's a very difficult dance at times because you have to ask the very tough questions. You do, but you don't. You want to do it in a way that they feel that they can answer and really explain the evidence. Now, in this case, we were a little hamstrung. He told us in advance that he would not discuss any of the evidence. And so we did get to ask these questions of his lawyer, but not him. And that's a little frustrating. But I was. I was torn in two different ways. One is I was very impressed with him. He was very well spoken. He seemed very emotional. He said several times that he did not kill his wife and would not have killed. Killed his wife. But the problem was he was a very, very controlled interview, and that didn't quite match the evidence that we know.

[Ann Marie Green]

At trial was he able to explain how he ended up in this situation? If it wasn't him, then how did things end up like this?

[Erin Moriarty]

He doesn't have, you know, we course asked whether that. Who would. Does he have another idea who? Because, you know, this was a very violent murder. She was shot 14 times, close range in a period of a minute. That part I can't get over that somebody came in the house and then by the time she tried calling 91 1, and the time that person left was around one minute.

[Ann Marie Green]

Wow.

[Erin Moriarty]

She was shot 14 times. That is anger. And so, I mean, who else would have that kind of anger? And he did not have an answer for that.

[Ann Marie Green]

So let's talk a little bit about Tim and Becky's relationship in the hour. You showed a video of Becky and Tim during one of their arguments. Tim said that Becky had become combative during a disagreement at a parent teacher night. I want to play a little sound.

[Tim Bleifnik]

I'm asking you to stop harassing me and stop talking.

[Erin Moriarty]

I'm not harassing you. I'm asking. He offered this video of the incident as proof.

[Tim Bleifnik]

Make a copy for you.

[Ann Marie Green]

I want you to take me.

[Erin Moriarty]

Don't stop doing this.

[Ann Marie Green]

Do you guys sort of think about how much of their relationship you want to show? You want to be unbiased?

[Erin Moriarty]

Well, I felt it was important to show that particular snippet because he had actually filed for an order of protection in part based on that. That was his evidence. And when I saw it, I saw a woman who was upset that he was photographing her with his phone. But I didn't think. I didn't get the feeling from looking at it that she was threatening him. And here he was going to court asking for an order of protection. So I thought it was only fair for viewers to make their own decision. Maybe somebody else looking at it would feel differently than I did. But I think it was more the way you described. These are two people going through a contentious divorce. But I didn't see, in my view, but somebody else might see it differently. I didn't see her threatening him. I saw a very frustrated woman. And he was recording it.

[Ann Marie Green]

Yeah.

[Stephanie Slipher]

And, you know, when Becky had tried to get an order of protection against Tim, she wrote in her petition that he would often falsify interactions between the two. So he was alleging in this parent teacher night that she was combative. Now we have video. Let the viewer decide for themselves.

[Ann Marie Green]

So the other thing about this case is that there isn't really the clear bridge between this, like, toxic relationship that they're in that has fallen apart and a homicide, it just. You're like, how do you make that leap? But then there are some text messages that are presented by the prosecution. I want to play a little sound from the episode.

[Erin Moriarty]

Days after Tim filed for that order of protection, and more than a year before her death, Becky sent her sister Sarah this text. If something ever happens to me, please make sure the number one person of interest is Tim. She would later make similar statements to friends.

[Becky's Sister]

I said, what did he do? And that text was prompted by the murder of one of her colleagues. One of the nurses that she knew was murdered by her partner. That scared her. She felt like this could happen. This is real.

[Erin Moriarty]

You know what? When I, you know, look at those texts, what I was most struck by was the prosecutor, Laura Keck, who said to us that the reason why this case had stayed with them so much is that sometimes abuse doesn't end up with bruises. And that they really believe that Tim Beliefnik was not just controlling, but abusive in a way that you only see behind closed doors. And that those texts, it wasn't just one or two, reflected the fact that, sadly, Becky was seeing something that her friends and the neighbors and people didn't see. And that is what has stayed with me.

[Stephanie Slipher]

I mean, that's the thing. Becky was shouting from the rooftops pretty much that she was scared of Tim. She had a feeling something bad was going to happen. At trial, eight people testified that she had expressed fear to them. And one of the reasons why her sister wanted to speak about this is because she's hoping that something can change from this. She's hoping that people will take it more seriously in the future. Many of the people that Becky expressed fears to said, oh, you know, Tim wouldn't do that. He doesn't look like that type of guy.

[Ann Marie Green]

Wow. Watching that interview, it was really hard to make the connection for me between what he is in prison for and this guy who looks like any guy that, you know, you'd see in suburbia cutting his lawn and taking his kids to soccer.

[Erin Moriarty]

And can I just. If, in fact he did, and, you know, we know he was convicted of it 14 times. She was shot. That reflects such anger.

[Ann Marie Green]

Yeah.

[Erin Moriarty]

And I didn't see any of that in Tim. There is a lot we didn't see.

[Stephanie Slipher]

And he's accused of doing this, too, while his kids are home sleeping in his house. It's very hard to comprehend.

[Ann Marie Green]

Yeah. When we get back, we are going to talk about the trial. Stephanie, you were in the courtroom, so I want to hear about that. And we're also going to discuss an interesting piece of evidence that was not in the hour, which was actually a lack of evidence. I'm going to explain what that means when we get back.

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[Ann Marie Green]

Welcome back. This case really moved at lightning speed. Becky was gunned down, killed in her own home on February 23, 2023. Tim went on trial for her murder May 23, 2023. Exactly three months later. Exactly three months later. Prosecution had 90 days to bring this to trial. That is an unusual timeline. I think usually these things take years almost, right?

[Erin Moriarty]

I. This is the first time for me actually. I mean, I know that of course I'm familiar with the concept of speedy trial. But here's what happened. So they, you know, she is shot. They then the evidence is pointing towards him. They arrest him, he has a right to a speedy trial. Which means that they had to bring the case in 90 days. Why? That just was so fascinating to me because I thought, can they, can they develop a case in 90 days? Sometimes DNA tests take 90 days. And so one of the reasons why I was so interested in doing this case is, you know, you only get one bite of the apple. They're going to take him on trial. They don't convict him, it's done. Could they prepare a case in time?

[Ann Marie Green]

Yeah.

[Stephanie Slipher]

And they did a remarkable job. They pulled it off. I mean, the police work that went into this was amazing. And you mentioned, you know, something that did not make it into the hour. That was a very interesting piece of evidence, and it dealt with a fitness tracker that Tim would wear around his wrist. It's called a whoop. And when investigators executed a search warrant on Tim's house and car, they noticed that he was wearing this fitness armband. And so they were able to obtain it and retrieve data from it. And they realized that his whoop accounted for every second of every day, except for the time at which that person was seen on the driveway video and when that person was seen on the bike. And that was big.

[Ann Marie Green]

Yeah.

[Stephanie Slipher]

And, I mean, I spoke about the police work that went into this. They had to go through almost 1.5 million pieces of data from that fitness tracker to determine those gaps in the timeline.

[Ann Marie Green]

Wow.

[Stephanie Slipher]

And to them, that meant that they had the right guy.

[Ann Marie Green]

Right.

[Erin Moriarty]

Because it. You know, how it works is so it has to be connected to his phone, and clearly he did not have his phone with him at that moment. So just during those times that otherwise. So when he was near his phone, the. The whoop was working, except for the time when somebody is seen on the bike and, you know, somebody is seen outside Becky's house.

[Ann Marie Green]

Yeah.

[Stephanie Slipher]

So the prosecutors believed, actually that Tim thought he was being smart by leaving his phone behind when he went on these bike rides, when really it ended up helping to convict him because he didn't take the whoop off, and it wasn't connected to the phone, and therefore, there was no data during those time periods.

[Erin Moriarty]

But it turns out, because he lives so close to her about a mile, that if he carried the phone with him, they might not have been able to tell anyway where he was, because he was within that mile. He could have been hitting off the exact same cell tower anyway. And so, you know, that. That was interesting, and that helped the prosecution.

[Ann Marie Green]

The other bit that's fascinating is the surveillance footage that they use. The only thing about the surveillance footage is that it's super blurry. Like, you can barely kind of make out who this is.

[Erin Moriarty]

And it's absolutely true. You can't tell gender, nothing. The video is only good to show that somebody was going back and forth for the direction of Tim's house, to her house, then back at certain times. But you can't tell who's on the bike.

[Ann Marie Green]

So, Erin, you spoke to a juror, which gave you guys some real insight as to what was going on during deliberations.

[Erin Moriarty]

Right. And I mean, that's why we try to talk jurors in every single. You learn something that there's no other way you're going to find this out.

[Stephanie Slipher]

Yes. So Aaron did interview a juror, but we weren't able to include this in the hour. We just didn't have enough time to get to everything, unfortunately. But he did share with us that some members of the jury felt that Tim had the same walk as the person seen in that surveillance video. They were paying attention to the way that he walked in and out of the courtroom.

[Ann Marie Green]

Wow.

[Stephanie Slipher]

And they felt that there was a similarity. Wow. And it's actually not the first time we heard that in our reporting either, because Becky's brother in law said the same thing. He said when he saw that surveillance video play in court. He knew it was Tim's walk.

[Ann Marie Green]

So they did not deliberate for very long. But one of the other things you learned about the deliberations is that there was a holdout initially.

[Stephanie Slipher]

Yeah, that was surprising. You know, we wouldn't have known that had we not spoken to that member of the jury. And we're always kind of wondering when we're covering a trial, what's going on in that deliberation room. You know, we're hanging out around the courtroom waiting for the verdict to come in. And hour after hour passed and nothing. And it turns out there was a holdout and they had to go over the evidence multiple times before they were able to reach a unanimous verdict.

[Erin Moriarty]

But think about it, Emery. There really wasn't much direct evidence. And in fact, the juror said to us that what really convinced him was really the only bit of direct evidence which we did have in our piece, which was the spent shell casings. There were 27 spent shell casings found in his prosecution said matched. I mean, they had expert that said matched these shell casings found at the crime scene. I think that was probably the real problem with jurors. There wasn't a lot of direct evidence. And as we all see, he just didn't look like the type to kill his wife.

[Ann Marie Green]

You know, just kind of going back to him and his demeanor. I was surprised that he didn't take the scent. I know typically people don't. But it seemed like he might have presented well for lack Of a better.

[Erin Moriarty]

Phrase, he would have. But there's no question that, you know, there her text messages, he would have been asked about why. So, you know, the prosecution would been able to bring up things. And I think they. That often happens with trials that they just think the risks are too much. The hardest question for him would be, in my mind, is the fact that on Valentine's Day, Becky had a boyfriend spend the night. And so there is a scene of the person, the prowler is seen on video, and Tim says, that's not him. But later that morning after that, he is looking up the VIN number and the license tag of the car that's sitting in her driveway. And so that's very damning evidence, because how did he know that car was in if he wasn't that person? Right. Right on the driveway.

[Stephanie Slipher]

And now he says, oh, I knew Becky had started dating someone. I knew that for months. But it's the timing of those searches and the obsessiveness of the searches. I mean, we're talking about, I think, 200 searches in the middle of the night, right after that person is seen on that driveway camera. He's trying to find the owner of, you know, who owns this car with this license plate number and this VIN number. He's calling the Department of Revenue.

[Erin Moriarty]

In the middle of the night.

[Stephanie Slipher]

In the middle of the night.

[Erin Moriarty]

Yeah, but that's what he would have been asked by prosecution. That. That would have been. That's what I really wanted to ask him. So I think that was a big reason why he couldn't have taken this case.

[Ann Marie Green]

Yeah. How can you explain it?

[Erin Moriarty]

It just the. How many times he tried to do the research tells you something about Tim that we just had not seen in the interview or saw in the courtroom.

[Ann Marie Green]

Was it just the VIN number? He looked up other phrases too, right?

[Erin Moriarty]

Oh, well, if you're talking about all the searches, oh, my gosh. I mean, that. That also was very incriminating. So they found a number of searches on his phone, and now we don't know. And I'm not quite sure why they couldn't tell when he made these searches, but they couldn't say when. But they were things like, how do you wash gunpowder off your hands? That's pretty, right?

[Ann Marie Green]

Not a typical Google search.

[Erin Moriarty]

But also the fact that she was shot, you know, so that with a nine millimeter, you know, can use a crowbar to get into your house. You know, there were a number of incriminating.

[Ann Marie Green]

How does the defense explain that?

[Stephanie Slipher]

Well, the defense points us to the fact that they can't say when those searches were made, so they could have been made after the murder. Maybe he was trying to understand what had happened. He was doing research. That's what the defense says. But, you know, there was even more searches than we were able to mention in the episode. Another one that comes to mind was average Quincy Police department response time.

[Erin Moriarty]

What?

[Stephanie Slipher]

There was a lot of searches that.

[Erin Moriarty]

And the one that I thought was really the most interesting, because it was new for me, was how to make a homemade silence for a gun.

[Ann Marie Green]

Oh, my God.

[Erin Moriarty]

You know who I mean? Look, people have guns, but why the silencer? And the idea that, you know, there were those little bits of plastic that were found around her, and they were trying to figure out what were those little pieces of plastic. And now they believe that whoever killed Becky and they believe it was Tim was either using it as a silence or these plastic bags around or some way to collect the casings, which clearly they did not work because there were casings left at the crime scene.

[Stephanie Slipher]

And another thing he had searched for was, does my whoop record the times I wear it?

[Ann Marie Green]

There you have it.

[Erin Moriarty]

But now that. That could be anything. Stephanie.

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[Stephanie Slipher]

Just saying.

[Ann Marie Green]

So your team was actually at the trial. You guys were there. I'm really curious about the mood in the courtroom, Stephanie. I know you were there for a lot of it, right?

[Stephanie Slipher]

I mean, this is really a family torn apart. And of course, Becky's family was there in the courtroom each day. And Tim's family was there during the trial as well. His mother, his father, his two brothers were there. And I got the sense that this was the first time they were hearing all the evidence, and they're trying to comprehend it all as it's being presented in court and what this means. And, you know, it was heartbreaking because you're really just thinking about Becky and Tim's three kids during all of this, too. They've lost their mother, and now they're potentially losing their father.

[Erin Moriarty]

Tim, the juror, said something, and we see it every time we cover these trials. So you have this couple and their families came together for a marriage, and then at this trial, it's a little like the same thing. You have the bride's family on one side and the husband's family on the other. But this time now it's the state, the prosecution, and the defense. And that's really heartbreaking. And nobody ever shares sides. They're always sitting on opposite sides of the courtroom. And that strikes me. It never seems old to me. It strikes me anew every time I see it. And it struck the juror that we talked to as well.

[Ann Marie Green]

Tim was found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Without. Without the possibility of parole. But I want to talk about Becky's sister's impact statement. She delivered this directly to Tim before he was sentenced. You actually this interview to remind people that you were able to do. Aaron happened before he was sentenced, found guilty, but had not been sentenced. So this is sort of fast forwarding in time and she's able to. To speak to him directly. I want to play some of that sound.

[Becky's Sister]

Your children's future will be forever impacted by your crime. They're already suffering. Maybe you should have googled childhood PTSD in between your Internet searches for homemade silencers and VIN numbers.

[Ann Marie Green]

I'm really curious, Stephanie, about what it was like to be in the courtroom when she was delivering this statement.

[Stephanie Slipher]

It was very emotional. And many family members of Becky actually gave victim impact statements that day. Her mom spoke, her aunts and cousins, her brother in law. And there's something that Becky's brother in law said while he was on the stand giving his impact statement that really stuck out to me. He said to Tim, and he was looking directly at him. You rode on that bike that night towards all of us. And it just really put in perspective the amount of victims in this case. You know, everyone who knew and loved Becky has been impacted by this. And I think that that's really what they were trying to get across in the impact statements. And I was just really struck by how forcefully they all spoke. And Becky's brother in law and sister in particular looked directly at Tim the entire time. And when Becky's sister actually walked off the stand, she stared directly at Tim's parents. And his parents were sitting behind me. His mom, I think, had sunglasses on. So it was hard to tell what their reaction was, but it was certainly a tense moment in the courtroom.

[Ann Marie Green]

Any final words on this episode in this case?

[Erin Moriarty]

If this case has gotten national attention because of Tim's answer on Family Feud, to go beyond the humor of that and to recognize how serious. There's a real serious message with a case like this about hidden abuse.

[Stephanie Slipher]

And Becky's sister is fully aware that the reason why this case got the attention that it did is because of Family Feud. But she's made the decision to use that to their advantage. They have this platform and they want people to learn from Becky's story. You know, one of the things that Sarah told us in our interview with her is that you know, she's just hoping that in the future, if anybody that's in a position like Becky, she wants them to be able to find a way to make themselves safe. And, you know, whether that's having a working alarm system or, you know, telling people repeatedly like Becky did, but making sure that the person you're scared of knows that you've told those people, stay with someone else. Don't be alone. Don't let there be an opportunity for something like this to happen.

[Ann Marie Green]

Yeah. Yeah, that's a really good message. This is a case where what you see on the surface is not necessarily what's happening, but, you know, beneath the surface in that she doesn't come off as an abused woman. He doesn't come off as an abuser. There were no bruises that I was aware of or talk of physical. Physical abuse. And we have this sense that in order for something, a situation to get to the point where someone is killed, there must be an escalation. It must go from arguing toxic, physically violent before we get to murder. Doesn't necessarily have to be the case.

[Erin Moriarty]

You can have abuse without bruises. That's what the prosecution said. But I should point out, as we're, you know, coming to an end on this, that this may not be the end of the case. Tim made it very clear to us in the interview that he is appealing this case. And I have run into this in the past. Remember what Stephanie had said, that there were eight witnesses who at trial who talked about the fact that she had either texted or told them that she feared that Tim was going to hurt her. Well, the problem is Becky is dead and Tim could not confront the accuser. And in some cases. In Wisconsin, I've covered another case. The trial was overturned because the judge allowed in that testimony.

[Ann Marie Green]

Because this is. Is this hearsay?

[Erin Moriarty]

Would that be viewed? The judge did not view it as hearsay, but it depends if he appeals, right? So if. If it doesn't end, I mean, there he is appealing this case. And it's based in part on the fact that the judge allowed in these witnesses to talk about what Becky said when Becky wasn't there to explain.

[Ann Marie Green]

Really fascinating. So this may not be the end.

[Erin Moriarty]

May not be.

[Ann Marie Green]

Sure. Now to join us next Tuesday for another postmortem. And if you're liking the show, please rate and review 48 hours on the Apple Apple Podcast. Watch 48 hours as well. Saturdays, 10, 9 Central on CBS and streaming on Paramount. Plus, and be sure to follow 48 hours wherever you get your podcasts. You can also Listen ad free on the Amazon Music or Wondery app. Before we leave, we have a final note. We'd like to take a moment to remember longtime 48 Hours colleague John Jacobian. He died this week. John was the director of Global News Syndication and had an almost encyclopedic memory of every 48 hours episode ever made. John was also one of the nicest guys in the newsroom and will be forever known for his good heart and his quiet kindness. And he certainly will be missed by the 48 Hours family. Thank you, John.

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