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

[borndem]

Thanks for checking borndem!

and DARN!!! Can't access the site....

Looks like I'll be calling on you for this one!

Are you in Riga? Maybe that's why. Dunno
Do you get a message when you try?

I certainly don't mind checking -- I plan to keep up with this one, too, but I don't understand why you can't get there.
There may be others here who cannot access it, as well.

 

[Niner]

Yes, I am in Riga. There are quite a few that I can't access from here and lots of article "forbidden" by the EU!

The message I get is - can't access this site - or something like that....

 

[borndem]

Yes, I am in Riga. There are quite a few that I can't access from here and lots of article "forbidden" by the EU!

The message I get is - can't access this site - or something like that....

Well, Fooey, Mans draugs.

Must be sites outside of US -- we've become such snobs in the last couple of years, you know... .

No worries, just ask!

 

[Niner]

Bumping this up for @borndem - any updates? TIA!

 

[borndem]

Good Day, Niner!
Just checked -- nothing out there for "Bishop,A" on the Durham County dockets for District or Superior Court. When I didn't get a hit on "Bishop,A" I looked under "Bishop" and still no hit.

District and Superior Courts of DURHAM County
Listing: 1 - 5 07/01/2019

Court Defendant Date of
Birth Court
Date Court
Room Session Case
Number Citation
Number
District BISHOP,DANIELLE 02/05 07/15/2019 004D AM 17CR055431
District BISHOP,DIANA,NICOLE 07/30 07/26/2019 TRAF AM 19IF701443 0517G43
District BISHOP,KAREEM,JAMAL 12/27 07/18/2019 005A PM 19CR052772
District BISHOP,KAREEM,JAMAL 12/27 08/16/2019 TRAF AM 19CR704864 3518G78
District BISHOP,WILLIAM,BRADLEY 12/08 07/02/2019 TRAF AM 13CR053827 C2287853
-------------------------------------------------------
Calendars / District and Superior Court Query
-------------------------------------------------------
That's all that's out there as of today!

And this is the most recent (April) news article -- and it's from April --

Son challenges search warrants in Durham dog-leash death. Could evidence be thrown out?
-------------
Maybe something in a couple of weeks (??).

 

[Niner]

Paldies!

 

[Trident]

Just found this strange case. I think the dog did it. I have a 64 lb lab and he is fully capable of wrapping a leash around someone's neck. Every time I take him on a lead, we both end up tangled - it's the nature of the beast. God forbid I should ever raise the arm the leash is attached to and scratch my nose. I can see the leash going around my neck. Labs are strong and energetic.

 

[borndem]

Paldies!

Nav par ko!

(And that's about all I know!)

 

[MsFacetious]

Just found this strange case. I think the dog did it. I have a 64 lb lab and he is fully capable of wrapping a leash around someone's neck. Every time I take him on a lead, we both end up tangled - it's the nature of the beast. God forbid I should ever raise the arm the leash is attached to and scratch my nose. I can see the leash going around my neck. Labs are strong and energetic.

I agree. I don't think this should have even been charged. There just isn't enough here to file charges. "The dog did it" sounds crazy but in this case I think it's equally likely.

 

[Niner]

Accused of killing his dad, Durham teen now looking to kick his grandma out of her home :: WRAL.com

By Sarah Krueger, WRAL reporter

Durham, N.C. — A Durham teen awaiting trial in the death of his wealthy father two years ago appears to be trying to evict his grandmother from her Florida home, a lawyer said Thursday.

Bill Bishop, 59, a prominent developer in the Tampa area, was found unconscious in his Durham mansion on Dover Road on April 18, 2018. He died in a local hospital two days later.
[.....]
In a pretrial motions hearing Thursday morning, Alexander Bishop's attorney asked for a speedy trial.

"My client is 17 years old now, your honor. He was kicked out of school, as your honor knows, as the result of this investigation. His life has been put on hold," defense attorney Allyn Sharp told Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson.

Sharp also filed motions to suppress Alexander Bishop's statements to authorities and the search warrants police obtained in the case.
[.....]
Sharp wants the devices returned, and she also filed a motion "to view and photograph the neck structure" of Bill Bishop, which remains with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, so a defense expert can examine it.

Hudson said all of the motions would be heard on Sept. 9.

Meanwhile, on the civil side of the case, Alexander Bishop and his brother, Jefferson Bishop, are the beneficiaries of Bill Bishop's estate, and have asked their 88-year-old grandmother to sign an agreement to stay in her Tampa-area home.
[.....]
Estate attorney Bob Idol had told Jackson that, if Mildred Bishop doesn’t sign the agreement, Alexander and Jefferson Bishop will evict her immediately.

"I would think that they would accommodate her, but they haven’t," Jackson said. "They may have a legal right to [evict her]. I don’t know Florida law. I don’t know whether they will. But I think decency and morality and ethics would make them pause before they took that step."


Poor grandma....

 

[borndem]

I just saw the article that you posted above, Niner -- Hmmm, that article puts a little more flavor to this story, doesn't it?
It appears that the other son, Alex's brother, is in favor of this as well -- I guess the brothers are looking to live in Florida -- Alex is out on bail, but his situation is a bit more complicated than his brother's, I'd say.
There must be more to this story.
I was kind of leaning in the Alex-didn't-do-this side of the street, but this latest grandma thing has me wondering. SMH.

 

[FunkyMonkey]

Just found this strange case. I think the dog did it. I have a 64 lb lab and he is fully capable of wrapping a leash around someone's neck. Every time I take him on a lead, we both end up tangled - it's the nature of the beast. God forbid I should ever raise the arm the leash is attached to and scratch my nose. I can see the leash going around my neck. Labs are strong and energetic.

65 lb pup here too and I had the same thought! Especially if dad had any type of medical episode and maybe was not fully conscious in that chair, that dog would be all over and around him. I really feel it was a terrible mix of unfortunate events that do not include murder.... but I’m always willing to keep an open mind. MOO

 

[Doghairrules]

I just saw the article that you posted above, Niner -- Hmmm, that article puts a little more flavor to this story, doesn't it?
It appears that the other son, Alex's brother, is in favor of this as well -- I guess the brothers are looking to live in Florida -- Alex is out on bail, but his situation is a bit more complicated than his brother's, I'd say.
There must be more to this story.
I was kind of leaning in the Alex-didn't-do-this side of the street, but this latest grandma thing has me wondering. SMH.

I saw it too and am surprised, at the least, that they are willing to risk the negative publicity.

Was there something early on about Bill Bishop’s relationship with his mother? It’s niggling at me, but I can’t find an article mentioning her.

 

[FunkyMonkey]

Accused of killing his dad, Durham teen now looking to kick his grandma out of her home :: WRAL.com

By Sarah Krueger, WRAL reporter

Durham, N.C. — A Durham teen awaiting trial in the death of his wealthy father two years ago appears to be trying to evict his grandmother from her Florida home, a lawyer said Thursday.

Bill Bishop, 59, a prominent developer in the Tampa area, was found unconscious in his Durham mansion on Dover Road on April 18, 2018. He died in a local hospital two days later.
[.....]
In a pretrial motions hearing Thursday morning, Alexander Bishop's attorney asked for a speedy trial.

"My client is 17 years old now, your honor. He was kicked out of school, as your honor knows, as the result of this investigation. His life has been put on hold," defense attorney Allyn Sharp told Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson.

Sharp also filed motions to suppress Alexander Bishop's statements to authorities and the search warrants police obtained in the case.
[.....]
Sharp wants the devices returned, and she also filed a motion "to view and photograph the neck structure" of Bill Bishop, which remains with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, so a defense expert can examine it.

Hudson said all of the motions would be heard on Sept. 9.

Meanwhile, on the civil side of the case, Alexander Bishop and his brother, Jefferson Bishop, are the beneficiaries of Bill Bishop's estate, and have asked their 88-year-old grandmother to sign an agreement to stay in her Tampa-area home.
[.....]
Estate attorney Bob Idol had told Jackson that, if Mildred Bishop doesn’t sign the agreement, Alexander and Jefferson Bishop will evict her immediately.

"I would think that they would accommodate her, but they haven’t," Jackson said. "They may have a legal right to [evict her]. I don’t know Florida law. I don’t know whether they will. But I think decency and morality and ethics would make them pause before they took that step."


Poor grandma....

Definitely a strange one. Surprised to see attorneys involved in this particular choice. It doesn’t make any sense to me. Why make yourself look worse? MOO

 

[JaneEyre]

I saw it too and am surprised, at the least, that they are willing to risk the negative publicity.

Was there something early on about Bill Bishop’s relationship with his mother? It’s niggling at me, but I can’t find an article mentioning her.

Me, too. Also, didn’t she put the girlfriend in charge of the estate? There was definitely more about the relationship between the grandmother and her son, but I can’t recall what.

Also, I feel like we have too little information to make a judgment on this eviction, especially when an agreement that she won’t sign has been mentioned. We have no idea what that is.

 

[1&2&3]

Why is this dragging on for two years?

The boys probably want to move to Florida because their name is too well known in Durham as well as Chapel Hill and Raleigh. As teenagers, their name precedes them wherever they go. IMO.

They are living in a world that is standing still at an important period in their life.

After two years, LE should know if the one son is guilty or not. IIRC, the father had heart problems. It sounds like LE can’t make a decision.

 

[SeesSeas]

I think this was an unfortunate accidental death.
AB's attorney is smart to request a speedy trial. If the case drags on for more years, this could result in charges dismissed. [or. . . a conviction vacated]
At this point, with all they've been through, I imagine that AB and his brother JB are distrustful of authorities.
AB and JB are likely doing all they can to protect their rights to assets/property, regardless of family connection. Liability could also be an issue.
A notice of '120 days to evict' appears to be standard language in some tenant lease documents.

Accused of killing his dad, Durham teen now looking to kick his grandma out of her home :: WRAL.com
An autopsy report states "ligature strangulation" as the cause of death, noting that led to a heart attack that deprived Bishop's brain of oxygen.
[...]
In a pretrial motions hearing Thursday morning, Alexander Bishop's attorney asked for a speedy trial.
[...]
Bill Bishop bought the home for Mildred Bishop some 30 years ago, but his two sons included a provision in the agreement giving them the right to evict her without cause if they provide 120 days' notice.

Court Rules Man’s Speedy Trial Right Abridged
Durham man convicted of home invasion sees conviction vacated

5 Reasons You Can Evict a Tenant
Owner Move In (OMI) Evictions | LegalMatch

 

[borndem]

Why is this dragging on for two years?

The boys probably want to move to Florida because their name is too well known in Durham as well as Chapel Hill and Raleigh. As teenagers, their name precedes them wherever they go. IMO.

They are living in a world that is standing still at an important period in their life.

After two years, LE should know if the one son is guilty or not. IIRC, the father had heart problems. It sounds like LE can’t make a decision.

bbm
Agreed -- I have to think the guilt part of this one is/may be a bit flimsy, and murder trials, as we know, cost a lot of money, time, etc., etc.
Who knoze what's going on with them? Durham County jurisprudence can be quite interesting at times...
I just checked the Durham County District & Superior Courts docket, and there was nothing there for "Bishop,A" so no change there. My guess is that the prosecutors, etc., want to have a good solid case, and maybe they feel that they don't have one yet.

Not to be too facetious, but -- How many expert witnesses would know about a dog's leash around a man's neck possibly causing a fatal heart attack three days later??!! Sounds silly, but that may be just a part of what LE/DA do not have.
Dunno -- we could see something tomorrow, etc., about this -- or not.

It's not unusual for a trial to be about 18--24 months after the murder and arrest (if indeed this one is a murder) -- but in this case, Bishop wasn't arrested until several months after the father had died of a heart attack, so that may be why we haven't heard much yet. At least this suspect had enuff money to bail himself out of jail.
So we wait...

 

[MsFacetious]

They waited to arrest the son already, they should have waited longer if they didn't have a case. Or, just not file charges if they didn't have a case.

 

[borndem]

ITA -- We certainly don't know what evidence LE/DA may have against him, but I'm betting not much. The son lived there, so his fingerprints would be on the dog's leash & collar, on the chair the where AB found his dad, and all over the house, so probably not much there. AB was in high school, so if he made negative comments about his dad, well that's not unusual -- specific threats about killing his father would be one thing, but I'm thinking there is no such evidence anywhere close to that. Plus the method of death is a bit weak -- and why wouldn't AB have kept on strangling him till he was dead? JMHO.