Post by theczar on Apr 7, 2013 9:05:51 GMT -5
Fugitive Profile as of November 17th, 2014 (Based on FBI.gov wanted poster, "The Hunt" tv show):
Aliases: Brad Bishop, Bradford Bishop, Bradford Bishop, Jr., W. Bradford Bishop, W. Bradford Bishop, Jr., William Bradford Bishop, William Bradford Bishopp
Date(s) of Birth Used: August 1, 1936
Place of Birth: Pasadena, California
Height: 6'1" (in 1976)
Weight: 180 pounds (in 1976)
Occupation: United States Government Foreign Service Officer (in 1976)
Hair: Brown (in 1976)
Eyes: Brown
Sex: Male
Race: White
Nationality: American
Languages: English; French; Italian; Serbo-Croatian; Spanish
Scars and Marks: Bishop has a six-inch vertical surgical scar on his lower back.
Remarks: Bishop was, and may still be, an avid outdoorsman, camper, and hiker. He had extensive camping experience in Africa. He also enjoyed canoeing, fishing, swimming, jogging, tennis, skiing and riding motorcycles. Bishop enjoyed working out several times a week. He was also a licensed amateur pilot who learned to fly in Botswana, Africa.
Bishop has an American Studies degree from Yale University and a Master's Degree in Italian from Middlebury College in Vermont. He was known to read extensively and may have kept a diary or journal. A longtime insomniac, Bishop reportedly had been under psychiatric care in the past and had used medication for depression. He drank scotch and wine and enjoyed eating peanuts and spicy food. Bishop was described as intense and self-absorbed, prone to violent outbursts, and preferred a neat and orderly environment.
TIPS: If you have information concerning this person, please contact your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate. Tips can also be submitted anonymous online at tips.fbi.gov
William Bradford Bishop is wanted for the murders of his wife, mother, and his three sons back in 1976.
Bishop worked at the U.S. State Department. Before that, he had served in the Army after graduating from Yale in counterintelligence (some people speculate he may have been a spy for the CIA) and afterwards, had served in posts all over the world, especially in Italy and Africa. By 1976, Bishop was 39, and his family had settled down and did not want to uproot themselves anymore. Bishop, however, was seeking a promotion which would more than likely send him overseas once again. At the time, Bishop was taking a prescription drug called Serax, which could cause addiction, and may have been suffering from depression. On March 1, Bishop learned that he had not made the promotion list. He ran into a co-worker, Roy Harrell, and claimed he wasn't feeling well and was leaving. Harrell later claimed that Bishop's family, particulary his wife and mother, made Bishop feel his career was going nowhere.
After he left, Bishop withdrew several hundred dollars from his bank. He then purchased a ball-peen hammer, a gas can, and a shovel. He returned home late, after the kids were asleep. Police say he beat his wife to death first, while she read in a chair in the living room. After his mother returned from walking the dog, she was killed next. Bishop then went to his children's rooms and killed them to. Police say the oldest may have woken up during the attack, as his death was particularly brutal and his face was almost unrecognizable.
Bishop then loaded the bodies in the family car, and drove about 6 hours from Washington D.C. to North Carolina. He dumped the bodies in a shallow hole, doused them in gasoline, and set them ablaze. The next day, a forest ranger discovered the bodies. That day, Bishop was seen buying a pair of tennis shoes at a store in North Carolina. He was accompanied by the family dog, and possibly a woman described as "dark-skinned."
A week later, a neighbor of Bishop called the police, as she hadn't heard from them in weeks. When the police entered the house, they discovered walls covered in blood. A week later, the car was found abandoned, with blood in the back. Bishop was indicted soon after on five counts of murder. He was last profiled in 2010, and I think I read he was first profiled back in 1990.
The Bishop case has taken several weird and interesting turns. Not long ago, detectives discovered that Bishop was contacting at least 2 federal inmate prisoners. With one, he referred to woman that was almost definately in the North Carolina criminal system. This may refer to the woman he may have been seen with shortly after the murders. Also, because of Bishop's overseas experience (he speaks 5 languages, including English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Serbo Croatian) he is most definately not in the U.S., as he had no family ties anymore after his was killed.
Since he's been on the run, there have been seveal alleged sightings. There are three that stand out more than not:
1. In 1978, a friend of the Bishop family claims to have seen him in Stockholm, Sweden.
2. In 1979, Roy Harrell, Bishop's co-worker who was the last to see him before the murders, was in a restroom in Sorrento, Italy when a bearded, discheveled man entered. Harrell claims he saw it was Bishop and when he talked to him, the man panicked and fled. I saw on an old blog site that a man claims to have talked to Harrell, (who has since long retired) and not only does Harrell swear it was Bishop he ran into, but that the police stonewalled and didn't believe him when he first tried to report it.
3. In 1994, a former neighbor of Bishop claims to have seen him on a train car in Basel, Switzerland. The neighbor claims Bishop noticed them and tried to hide his face. When they were leaving, the neighbor claims to have seen Bishop let out a sigh of relief.
What do you guys think? I tend to believe Harrell's claim, since he has no reason to lie. The third sighting also is possible. There are just so many unanswered questions, such as where is he now? Who is this "dark-skinned" woman? Why was he contacting a federal inmate?
More than likely, he's still probably in Europe. He'd be about 76, so there's a good chance he's still alive.
Thoughts?
Admin edit: William Bradford Bishop has been added to the FBI's top 10 list.
**********UPDATE**********
On Wednesday, June 27th, 2018, William Bradford Bishop was removed from the FBI's top ten list. He is apparently still at large as of this update, however.
**********UPDATE**********
www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2014/april/william-bradford-bishop-added-to-fbi-top-ten-list/william-bradford-bishop-added-to-fbi-top-ten-list
Admin Note: If you have any news-related updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form
