Wife, Son And Mother-In-Law Of Baseball Pitcher Blake Bivens ‘Murdered’ :- The wife, one-year-old son and mother-in-law of a professional baseball player have been found dead. Emily and Cullen Bivens, the wife and son of Tampa Bay Rays pitching prospect Blake Bivens, were among three people shot and killed in a triple homicide on Tuesday, along with Emily’s mother.
Baseball Pitcher Blake Bivens ‘Murdered’
The brother-in-law of Blake Bivens, 19-year-old Matthew Bernard who is attached to Major League Baseball’s Tampa BayRays, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
The pitcher had been playing recently with Alabama’s minor league Montgomery Biscuits. The Biscuits have postponed this evening’s fixture as a mark of respect for the three people killed.
The suspect allegedly fled the scene naked before being arrested and charged by police. It has also been alleged that he killed the family dog.
Twenty-four-year-old Bivens’ tragic loss was confirmed on US sports broadcaster ESPN. Jeff Passan, a journalist for the outlet, tweeted: “Just an awful tragedy. The wife and child of Blake Bivens, a Double-A pitcher in the Tampa Bay Rays organisation, were among three people killed in rural Virginia on Tuesday. Police have charged Bivens’ wife’s brother with first-degree homicide.”
A Tampa Bay Rays statement said: “Earlier today we learned that Blake Bivens … suffered a terrible family tragedy in southern Virginia. Our hearts are broken for Blake. We are grieving with him and will support him any way we can.”
A statement by Minor League Baseball said: “Our thoughts & prayers are with the family, friends, and teammates of Blake Bivens in the wake of a terrible family tragedy, as well as the entire Rays organisation, during this very difficult time.”
According to local reports in Richmond, Virginia, the suspect was Matthew Bernard, the 19-year-old brother of Bivens’ wife Emily Marie, who was seen running naked from the area.
Police officers eventually caught up to him and sprayed him with pepper spray, although this failed to stop him. They eventually apprehended him after using their batons.
According to Virginia news station WSLS, the police were informed about the incident by concerned neighbours who called 911 after hearing shots being fired at Bivens’ sister’s home. On their arrival, they discovered a woman dead on the driveway and two more bodies – including that of Bivens’ one-year-old son Cullen – About 100 officers were involved at the scene. Local schools were placed under lockdown during the incident while authorities searched for the suspect.
Bivens’ Instagram is filled with pictures of his family, including a mention for wife Emily Marie in his biography. He recently shared a video of his son Cullen with the caption: “Happy 1st Birthday to my little man! Daddy loves you!” Though Bivens has not yet given a public statement about the tragic loss of his wife and baby son, already people are flooding his Instagram with words of sympathy and compassion.
