On Tuesday, the life of minor league baseball pitcher Blake Bivens changed forever after 18-year-old Matthew Thomas Bernard murdered his wife, son, and mother-in-law in southern Virginia.
Pittsylvania County Sheriff Mike Taylor announced on Wednesday that Bernard has been charged with a triple homicide.
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24-year-old Bivens is a pitcher for the Montgomery Biscuits, a Class AA affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The Biscuits’ CEO Lou DiBella announced on Tuesday that they would be canceling the team’s doubleheader “due to a tragic event within the Biscuits family.”
Yesterday Bivens broke his silence, releasing an emotional public statement on Instagram.
“Two days ago my heart was turned to ash,” Bivens wrote alongside a picture of his wife Emily, one-year-old son, and mother-in-law. “My life as I knew it is destroyed. The pain my family and I feel is unbearable and cannot be put into words. I shake and tremble at the thought of our future without them.”
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He went on to write a heartfelt tribute to his sweet Emily, hailing her the “best wife and mother this world has ever seen.”
“You made me into the man I am today and you loved me with all of my flaws. You brought our precious baby boy into this world and made our family complete. Your love and kindness changed countless lives, including mine.”
On her Instagram, Emily described herself as a “follower of Jesus” and someone who was “Amazed by His grace.”
The Tampa Bay Rays pitching prospect then doted on his ‘sweet little boy,’ saying “I can’t breathe without you here.”
“Dada loves you so much!” wrote Bivens. “I finally understood what love was when you were born and I would have done anything for you. You have changed my life forever, you are my reason why.”
“I long to hold the both of you again in heaven,” he continued. “I’m so glad you are with all your Great-grandmothers now, I know they are eating you up. This earth did not deserve either of you; you were just too wonderful to comprehend.”
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Bivens praised his mother-in-law Joan for raising the “most wonderful girl in the world,” adding that he’s glad they are still together.
In spite of his unimaginable heartbreak and loss, Bivens is confidently looking to Jesus amidst the grief.
“We will get through this together as a family. We will not let the devil win!” wrote the pitcher. “Thank you God for giving me the most wonderful family in the world! I’ve been blessed beyond belief.”
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As a final note, the grieving father and widower admitted, “I’m not sure what is next for me, but I do know God has a plan even though I can’t see it.”
A GoFundMe launched by ‘Our Baseball Life’ in support of Blake Bivens has currently raised over $60,000. If you’d like to support Bivens amidst this family tragedy, you may donate here.
