An Alabama sports correspondent was found dead alongside her husband by their three-year-old son after concerned family raised the alarm.
Christina Chambers, 38, and Johnny Rimes, 41, were both found unresponsive with gunshot wounds at their home in Hoover on Tuesday morning.
Rimes’s father went to the couple’s $275,000 home to check on them after they failed to turn up for a church event that morning, a neighbor has claimed.
‘The child answered the door,’ neighbor Charles Maple told People, citing information allegedly from police. ‘And then they went back [inside] and they found the bodies.’
The boy was inside the 2,158 square-foot home at the time of the deadly shootings, but escaped unharmed, police said.
The couple, who were wed in 2021, have lived in their neighborhood for seven years. Maple said they appeared happy but alleged that ‘something wasn’t right’ between them after the birth of their son.
Chambers and Rimes’s deaths are being investigated as a murder-suicide. Police have not yet said who pulled the trigger.
In wake of the tragedy, tributes have poured in for Chambers, hailing her as a ‘fantastic reporter,’ ‘exceptional colleague’ and the ‘ultimate ray of sunshine’.
Maple said that Chambers and Rimes both appeared to be loving parents.
Although he suspected something had changed between them after their son was born, he noted that the beloved sports reporter never expressed concern for her safety – or that of her son.
‘I was so shocked but for some reason, I don’t know why, I wasn’t totally surprised,’ he said of tragedy.
The investigation into the deaths of Rimes and Chambers is ongoing.
Chambers dedicated most of her career to covering sports at collegiate and local high school football games across Alabama and Georgia.
She studied communications at the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) and competed on the women’s track and field team.
Chambers joined Fox affiliate WRBC in November 2015.
After her marriage to Rimes, she began her new job as an educator at a local high school where she advised students on TV and film. The Alabama Scholastic Press Association honored her as the 2024 Advisor of the Year.
Chambers continued to do occasional freelance reporting for WBRC and was most recently involved in the station’s coverage of the 2025 football season.
Her former employer honored her in a statement earlier this week.
‘We are heartbroken to confirm the death of former WBRC reporter Christina Chambers,’ the TV station wrote.
‘Christina was a valued member of our newsroom and a beloved colleague whose warmth, humor, and passion for sports left a lasting impact on everyone who worked with her.
‘Christina was an accomplished journalist and athlete who brought energy, professionalism, and genuine care to her work,’ the statement continued.
‘She was especially proud of her ties to UAB, high school sports, and her community. We are praying for Christina’s family, friends, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.’
Reporters at WRBC gave a tearful tribute to their former colleague on the December 16 afternoon news.
‘Knowing Christina was knowing joy,’ said one of her former coworkers.
Her former cameraman Jeff Myers hailed her ‘professionalism and dedication,’ writing in a heartfelt Facebook post: ‘Working with Christina made the long hours more enjoyable, and she was a vital part of our work family.
‘Her talent, kindness, and dedication made her an exceptional colleague, and her role as a mother was her greatest accomplishment.’
Myers added that Chambers ‘loved life but she loved that little boy more than anything.’
PIX 11 sports anchor Simone Eli, who reported on the sidelines alongside Chambers for over a decade, said her ‘heart hurts over this tragedy.’
‘Her love for others, her love for her son, her family, her love for running, broadcast, Cullman, UAB — was palpable. She is the embodiment of a remarkable human being and friend. She has touched so, so many lives. Including mine,’ Eli wrote.
Alabama State Representative Chris Blackshear said that working alongside Chambers was ‘truly special.’
‘Christina didn’t just cover games, she told stories. She celebrated hard work, character, and the moments that didn’t always make the highlight reel,’ he said.
‘Her faith was at the center of everything she did, guiding the way she treated people and the way she showed up every day.’
Blackshear added: ‘Just as important to her was being a mom, a role she cherished deeply and spoke about often with a big smile. There was never any doubt that being a mom was her greatest accomplishment and the thing she was most proud of.’
According to a LinkedIn page, Rimes was a financial analyst at the American Case Iron Pipe Company for almost 14 years.
He also studied at UAB, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance and Financial Management Services.
- If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for 24-hour, confidential support.
