A quiet Hoover neighborhood is reeling after the bodies of former WBRC 6 sports reporter Christina Chambers and her husband, Johnny Rimes, were discovered inside their home on Tuesday morning — a tragedy police are investigating as a possible murder-suicide.
According to Fox News, what began as a routine morning ended in shock when Rimes’ father arrived at the couple’s residence around 9 a.m. to check on them after they failed to appear at a church event.
Instead, he was met at the door by the couple’s 3-year-old son, who had been inside the home during the incident but was unharmed, according to police.
Neighbor Charles Maple told PEOPLE that the boy led his grandfather inside.
“The child answered the door,” Maple said, citing investigators. “And then they went back [into the home], and they found the bodies.”
“It is heartbreaking,” he added.
Hoover police confirmed the child was in the home but safe.
Neighbors say the couple had been part of the community for seven years. Maple said they appeared happy but noted change in recent years.
After their son was born, “something wasn’t right,” he told People.
“I was so shocked, but for some reason, I don’t know why, I wasn’t totally surprised,” Maple reportedly said.
Chambers’ colleagues at WBRC 6 honored her life and legacy Tuesday night, paying tribute to her work and warmth.
“Christina Chambers had a beautiful ability to naturally feel like a friend immediately,” reporter Gillian Brooks said, according to the New York Post.
“Many at WBRC are in shock that they are talking about Christina, this bright light, in the past tense,” Brooks added. “However, the WBRC family is reflecting on the impact she will have on their lives forever.”
Chambers joined WBRC in 2015, becoming a key figure on the station’s “Sideline” sports program. Known for her energy and dedication, she delivered live reports from local games and major events — even anchoring marathons she was running herself, the station said.
She stepped away from full-time reporting in 2021 to pursue teaching but continued contributing to WBRC’s sports coverage. More recently, she served as a broadcast journalism teacher at Thompson High School, where she was named the Alabama Scholastic Press Association’s 2024 Advisor of the Year.
WBRC 6 News Anchor Jeh Jeh Pruitt remembered Chambers as both spirited and kind.
“She was one of the sweetest, most loving people that I know,” Pruitt reportedly said. “She was relentless with running, loving her son, and loving life. I am glad I got a chance to hug and tell her I love her a week ago at the Super 7. I am so sorry for her family, the Chambers and Thompson Families, and her WBRC Family.”
