Alabama is in mourning following the devastating deaths of former WBRC sports reporter Christina Chambers and her husband, Johnny Rimes Jr., who were found dead inside their Hoover home on Tuesday morning, December 16, 2025. Authorities say the case appears to be a murder-suicide, though the investigation remains ongoing.
Police confirmed that the couple’s 3-year-old child was found unharmed, a small mercy amid an otherwise heartbreaking scene.
According to the Hoover Police Department, a family member discovered the bodies of 38-year-old Chambers and 41-year-old Rimes around 9 a.m. and immediately called 911. First responders pronounced both adults dead at the scene, each having suffered gunshot wounds. Officials stated there is no ongoing threat to the public and believe Rimes shot Chambers before taking his own life.
The home, located on the 700 block of Highland Manor Court near Sulphur Springs Road, became the center of a rapidly unfolding tragedy that has left the community reeling.
Police say Chambers had returned home earlier that morning after completing her regular run, something she was well known for among friends and colleagues. A former UAB track athlete and lifelong runner, she often shared her love of fitness publicly and remained active even amid her demanding career and motherhood.
Concern arose when the family failed to appear for a Christmas program at Prince of Peace Catholic School in Hoover, where they attended church and where their young son was enrolled. Rimes’ parents went to the house to check on them, leading to the discovery that would shatter their lives and ripple across the state.
Christina Chambers’ impact extended far beyond the newsroom. She built a respected career in sports journalism, beginning with reporting roles at WAKA in Montgomery and WLTZ NBC38 in Columbus, Georgia. She later joined Comcast Sports Southeast in Atlanta, where she covered Auburn University athletics and high school sports, earning admiration for her professionalism, energy, and genuine love of the game.
She also worked as a freelancer for Raycom Media, covering state championship football and basketball games, before returning home in 2015 to join WBRC in Birmingham. There, she became a familiar and trusted face on Sideline, the station’s Friday night high school football show, connecting communities across Alabama through their shared love of sports.
After six years at WBRC, Chambers shifted her focus to education, becoming the broadcast journalism instructor at Thompson High School in Alabaster. Under her leadership, students flourished, earning statewide recognition and top honors. In 2024, she was named Advisor of the Year by the Alabama Scholastic Press Association, a testament to her dedication to mentoring young journalists and shaping future storytellers.
Even after stepping away from full-time reporting, she remained deeply connected to the field. She returned as a freelancer during the 2025 football season and worked in corporate communications at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, where colleagues described her as a constant source of warmth, positivity, and inspiration.
“Christina was a cherished colleague whose loving personality touched everyone she worked with,” said Sophie Martin, Director of Corporate Communications at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama. “She brought joy, energy, and heart to everything she did. She will be deeply missed.”
Tributes poured in from across the country. Simone Eli, a sports anchor at PIX11 in New York who previously worked in Alabama, shared an emotional remembrance, describing Chambers as someone whose impact “cannot even be described.”
Her love for her family, her son, her career, and her community, Eli wrote, was unmistakable. She recalled years spent sharing sidelines and press boxes, celebrating championships, and navigating motherhood as working TV journalists at the same time. What stood out most, she said, was Chambers’ unwavering kindness and generosity of spirit.
Above all, Christina Chambers was known as a devoted mother. She frequently shared lighthearted moments with her young son on social media, joking about their “Mommy/Son 5K” runs and celebrating everyday milestones. On Mother’s Day in 2023, she wrote that being a mom was “the best blessing in life,” words that now carry a profound and painful weight.
Chambers and Rimes were married in 2021, according to public records. In the wake of their deaths, WBRC issued a statement expressing deep sorrow and urging the community to keep Christina’s family in their prayers. U.S. Senator Katie Boyd Britt also offered condolences, calling for compassion and support for the family during an unimaginable time.
Friends, colleagues, former students, and viewers continue to express shock and grief, remembering a woman who brought passion, care, and humanity to everything she touched.
From Friday night football fields to classrooms filled with aspiring journalists, Christina Chambers lived a life marked by service, dedication, and heart. While her life ended far too soon, her influence and memory will endure in the many lives she shaped and inspired.