NC - Loving father or abusive parent, spouse? Tales conflict in suspicious dog-leash death

[borndem]

July 05, 2018 08:34 AM

Durham
Court documents and interviews tell two different stories about a Durham man whose son said he found him unconscious with a dog leash wrapped around his neck.

One depicts William "Bill" Bishop as a recently divorced man, loving father and successful businessman days from receiving his doctorate from UNC-Chapel Hill and preparing to travel across the globe.
...
Another depicts an emotionally abusive father and husband who threatened his wife, broke his children’s toys in fits of rage and sometimes carried around a loaded gun or left one atop the refrigerator.

Read more here: Loving father or abusive parent, spouse? Tales conflict in suspicious dog-leash death

 

[Just the Fax]

16 year old son charged with his dad's murder. Held on $1,000,000 bond
Dad was found dead with a dog leash on his neck. Now his son is charged with murder.

 

[meanmaryjean]

So did they try to sell the dog being responsible? I mean- how weird.

 

[borndem]

This is a weird one, IMO. Dog leash around his neck -- still attached to the dog?? How did that happen, one must ask? Pretty weak alibi, imho, but we'll see.
No mention of possible suicide that I could see anywhere, but there was a statement made which made a proposal of "undetermined" in the article cited by Just the Fax:

But a Greenville pathologist hired by Bishop’s family cast doubt on that ruling, The News & Observer reported.
“Based on my review of the autopsy material and the information available to me at this time, it is my opinion that the manner of death in this case should remain undetermined,” Dr. Jonathan Privette wrote in a report.

Read more here: Dad was found dead with a dog leash on his neck. Now his son is charged with murder.


Just plain odd. SMH.

 

[Breezie]

It is strange that his girlfriend was allowed to temporarily control his estate.

https://heavy.com/news/2019/02/alexander-bishop/

5. Bill Bishop’s Girlfriend Sought Control of His Estate

There was a battle for control of William Bishop’s multi-million dollar estate after his death.
According to the Herald Sun, Julie Seel, the girlfriend of Bill Bishop “successfully sought temporary control of his estate, saying she needs to protect his assets worth millions of dollars.”

They’d dated for a year at the time of the death. The newspaper reported that Bishop’s divorce with his wife – and the mother of Alexander – was finalized just weeks before Bill Bishop died.

Julie Seel is a clinical psychologist at Duke Integrative Medicine and, according to the newspaper, Bishop’s ex wife and sons tried to get her removed from controlling the estate.

Girlfriend of Durham man in dog-leash death takes control of estate, demands dog

‘ON AND OFF’ RELATIONSHIP
On July 30, Bishop’s two sons ages 16 and 17, and Sharon Bishop as their mother and representative, petitioned for Seel to be removed and a family friend to be appointed.

The filing states that Bill Bishop and Seel dated “on and off” for less than a year and were broken up at the time of his death.

“Five days before decedent was found unconscious … she had sent decedent an email ending their relationship, and placed all of his belongings that were in her house into her garage for him to pick up,” the sons’ filing states.

 

[Breezie]

Cache of gold, mystery liquid emerge as clues in Durham man's death :: WRAL.com

The new search warrant said that police seized a hypodermic needle and an unidentified clear liquid from the son's room. They plan to test it.

This article is from August so they should know what the mystery liquid is by now.

 

[Doghairrules]

Cache of gold, mystery liquid emerge as clues in Durham man's death :: WRAL.com

The new search warrant said that police seized a hypodermic needle and an unidentified clear liquid from the son's room. They plan to test it.

This article is from August so they should know what the mystery liquid is by now.

The whole situation is bizarre and all of the familial/close relationships seem suspect. The gf’s actions, IMO, are just as if not more suspicious, as the son. And what a bizarre way to kill someone.

 

[Breezie]

Girlfriend of Durham man in dog-leash death takes control of estate, demands dog

On June 5, Seel texted Sharon Bishop, “It looks like things are not going to work out for [the 16-year-old son], as I feared, premeditated murder is definitely what happened with Bill and only becoming clearer by the day,” the filing states.

The text also stated that Seel had not given not given a statement to police, the filing states.

“Before I do, I would just like to know if [the son] killed Bill out of greed, as it appears, or for a sincerely good reason, like self-defense,” the sons’ filing said the text stated.


Hmm, the girlfriend could have benefitted a lot from being in control of the estate.

She also might have had access to the son’s room and his computer. Is it odd that she did not want to give a statement until she knew what the son’s motive or defense might be? Is it normal for someone to try and control an estate when she only had an on again off again relationship with him for around a year?

 

[Doghairrules]

Girlfriend of Durham man in dog-leash death takes control of estate, demands dog

On June 5, Seel texted Sharon Bishop, “It looks like things are not going to work out for [the 16-year-old son], as I feared, premeditated murder is definitely what happened with Bill and only becoming clearer by the day,” the filing states.

The text also stated that Seel had not given not given a statement to police, the filing states.

“Before I do, I would just like to know if [the son] killed Bill out of greed, as it appears, or for a sincerely good reason, like self-defense,” the sons’ filing said the text stated.


Hmm, the girlfriend could have benefitted a lot from being in control of the estate.

She also might have had access to the son’s room and his computer. Is it odd that she did not want to give a statement until she knew what the son’s motive or defense might be? Is it normal for someone to try and control an estate when she only had an on again off relationship with him for around a year?

And for her to say she couldn’t breathe without him if, in fact, they were broken up? Also she is no longer listed as staff at Duke Integrative Medicine. I only note that because her place of employment has been listed in almost every article I’ve read.

 

[Breezie]

New report questions homicide ruling in Durham dog-leash death

Idol said some of the information in the warrants is misleading and inaccurate.

A July 25 search warrant successfully sought to get a hypodermic needle and unknown substance from the 16-year-old son’s bedroom at Bill Bishop’s house.

Investigator T. Huelsman said he spoke to Seel who found the needle and substance, the warrants state.

Idol said the needle was part of a toy Seel had given the teenager for Christmas. The toy creates a sand vision between two pieces of glass and includes a needle to regulate the air.

The warrant “left a lingering impression of something that is totally false from reality,” Idol said.

 

[Breezie]

New report questions homicide ruling in Durham dog-leash death

In his report, Privette, a former state medical examiner who has completed 2,000 autopsies, pointed to a lack of self-defense injuries on Bishop.

Bishop’s neck, faint and on one side only, “are unusual” for a violent strangulation with the dog leash material.

Bishop had heart disease, according to Privette. His heart was enlarged and 80 percent blocked on one side.

Blockages over 75 percent can cause sudden heart “events” and death, the report said.

Bishop’s family believes he had a fatal heart attack, said Bob Idol, an attorney representing Bishop’s two sons in estate-related matters.

Bishop was admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit at Duke University Hospital after he was found unconscious April 18, Idol said, and stayed there until his death.


“His physicians told the family that Bill had suffered a heart attack and never told them otherwise,” Idol said. “We believe this was the actual cause of his death.”

Privette said he had no opinion as to whether Bishop’s dog, a Labrador retriever, could wrap a leash around someone’s neck.

“However, assuming that the events are possible, it is my opinion that a 60-pound dog would have the force to cause the described injuries,” his report states.

 

[Breezie]

New report questions homicide ruling in Durham dog-leash death

Sharon Bishop and the sons question Seel’s relationship with Bill and criticize her for taking his Rolex, jewelry and other items.

The Bishop family also expressed concern in court documents about Seel helping police with the investigation and surreptitiously taking temporary control of the estate.

Seel resigned from overseeing the estate Aug. 27, a day before a hearing on the sons’ request to remove her.

In court documents filed Nov. 9, Seel sought a commission of $68,193 for managing the estate.

 

[Breezie]

Durham 911 call: ‘I think my dad is dead’

The edited 911 call from the son.

 

[Trudie]

Really crazy an estranged short term gf would get temporary control of an estate, or even seek it. Moo
Hope the kid is innocent, he doesn’t exactly look like the type to do real well in the “big house”.

 

[Doghairrules]

Really crazy an estranged short term gf would get temporary control of an estate, or even seek it. Moo
Hope the kid is innocent, he doesn’t exactly look like the type to do real well in the “big house”.

And same Gf apparently found the key evidence of a hypodermic needle. Weirder and weirder.

 

[1&2&3]

If there is evidence on Bill Bishop’s computer that this girlfriend wrote an email breaking up with Bill, why was this not taken into consideration before appointing her to be in charge of the estate?

Was his computer not immediately taken into custody?

This whole case seems a bit fishy to me. JMO.

 

[Trudie]

If there is evidence on Bill Bishop’s computer that this girlfriend wrote an email breaking up with Bill, why was this not taken into consideration before appointing her to be in charge of the estate?

Was his computer not immediately taken into custody?

This whole case seems a bit fishy to me. JMO.

Really. I still can’t figure out why the son was arrested.
His dad could have easily knocked the crap out of him, ya know? Jmo

 

[NCEast]

Good morning, I just watched the first court appearance. I'm just now getting my feet wet on this convoluted case.

 

[Breezie]

Durham teen charged with killing his father never had a ‘discipline problem,’ attorney says

Are there any experts in dog behavior here? It sounds possible that the dog realized something was wrong, when the dad sat down and slumped over, while getting ready for or returning from a walk. The dog could have jumped on him or even tried to push him out of the chair.

The son is smaller than the dad so he would have had to have snuck up on him, somehow, but that seems unlikely from the second medical report. New report questions homicide ruling in Durham dog-leash death

Could he have found his dad slumped over and made a feeble effort, with the leash, to prevent the dad from being revived? He did have some issues,with his dad, that he brought up with the first responders. It sounds like nothing the dog or son might have done, changed the outcome, since the dad had a massive heart attack.

 

[Breezie]

Durham teen's attorney says boy didn't kill father