Former Alabama sports reporter Christina Chambers and her husband, Johnny Rimes, were discovered deceased from gunshot wounds in their Hoover, Alabama home in what authorities are investigating as a murder-suicide. The couple's young son was present but physically unharmed during the tragic incident.
Police Respond to Tragic Scene
Officers from the Hoover Police Department arrived at the residence shortly after 9 a.m. on Monday, December 16, 2025, after receiving a report that the couple was unresponsive. In a news release, police confirmed both individuals were dead from gunshot wounds.
The couple's three-year-old son, Constantine, was inside the home at the time but was not physically injured. According to a neighbour who spoke with investigators, the toddler answered the door for his grandfather on the morning of the discovery.
Grandfather Discovers the Tragedy
Neighbour Charles Maple told People magazine that Rimes' father went to the home after the couple failed to appear at a scheduled church event. "The child answered the door," Maple said, citing information from detectives. "And then they went back (into the home) and they found the bodies."
Maple, who described the situation as "heartbreaking," said the family had moved into the neighbourhood approximately seven years ago. He noted they appeared to be happy and loving parents, though he sensed "something wasn't right" between the pair after their son was born. Maple emphasized he never had concerns for the child's safety and that Chambers had never expressed worries about her own wellbeing to him.
"I was so shocked," Maple said of seeing police vehicles outside the home. "But, for some reason, I don't know why, I wasn't totally surprised."
Community Mourns a "Bright Light"
Christina Chambers, a former sports journalist for Birmingham Fox affiliate WBRC, was remembered by her former colleagues in a special on-air tribute. Reporter Gillian Brooks described Chambers as having "a beautiful ability to naturally feel like a friend immediately."
Following her time in broadcast journalism, Chambers taught journalism at a high school in the Alabaster City Schools system. Superintendent Wayne Vickers stated that Chambers "quickly formed meaningful connections with her students" and that her dedication to them and her profession was evident.
A GoFundMe campaign has been established by her former WBRC colleagues to support the couple's son. The page states that donations "will go directly to supporting her 3 year old son, Constantine, who was left without parents," and will be used for his education and future needs. The organizers wrote that by contributing, donors are "honouring her life and helping carry forward the love and dreams she had for her sweet child."
The Hoover Police Department's investigation into the deaths is ongoing.
