MD MD - Bishop Family murders, Bethesda, 1 March 1976

[colette]

How do we know for sure he was the killer? Maybe I've read too many spy thrillers but, as a foreign service officer, who's to say what happened to his family wasn't part of something more nefarious?

He was seen buying the hammer the day of the murders along with shovel and pitchfork, some paid for by his credit card. He was also seen down south near where the bodies were dumped, buying hiking sneakers. The day of the murders he told his work he "thought he was coming down with the flu" to explain his future absence to buy more time to get away. He also emptied his bank account the day of the murders. Check out video on my enclosed link below, this might help. Also has been featured on Unsolved Mysteries and America's Most Wanted in the past.

Here is a good article with video of man who found the bodies, Bradford home movies, and the crime scenes.

http://www.nbcwashington.com/invest...nt-for-William-Bradford-Bishop-254593361.html

 

[G&AMom]

I know he's been spotted in Europe, but is it possible that the FBI has a tip that he's in the US? Just trying to figure out why they'd put him on the Most Wanted list after all this time.

 

[colette]

I know he's been spotted in Europe, but is it possible that the FBI has a tip that he's in the US? Just trying to figure out why they'd put him on the Most Wanted list after all this time.

That is a really good question. Generally they put people on the FBI top 10 when they feel there is a good chance of finding them. It doesn't look good to have someone on the top 10 for years and years without being caught. Maybe they think he is in the USA, maybe in his old age he wanted to come back to America.

There are pages on the web that have the FBI's rules for Top 10, how it works ect. Here are a couple:

http://people.howstuffworks.com/fbi-most-wanted.htm

Top ten most wanted fugitives must have a federal warrant out for their arrest
They must be considered dangerous - "a menace to society" in bureau parlance - and worthy of a $100,000 reward
Other leads must have run dry, with agents deeming the publicity might help find the fugitive rather than drive him or her further underground

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-17680954

 

[colette]

Since a publicity campaign began last week about the cold case, the FBI's Baltimore Division has received a large number of tips about where Bishop lived and worked.

Bishop was born in Pasadena and was also known to have an affinity for the Sierra Nevada in California and Nevada, the FBI said. Now 77, investigators believe there is a "strong possibility" Bishop could have returned these familiar places.

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/04/17...ted-list.html?sp=/99/217/&ihp=1#storylink=cpy

 

[G&AMom]

Since a publicity campaign began last week about the cold case, the FBI's Baltimore Division has received a large number of tips about where Bishop lived and worked.

Bishop was born in Pasadena and was also known to have an affinity for the Sierra Nevada in California and Nevada, the FBI said. Now 77, investigators believe there is a "strong possibility" Bishop could have returned these familiar places.

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/04/17...ted-list.html?sp=/99/217/&ihp=1#storylink=cpy

Thanks for the link, Colette, that's quite interesting. And interesting that they say they've got a "large number" of tips. Whitey Bulger managed to stay on the run for a long time but they finally tracked him down -- in California. Here's hoping they catch Bishop as well.

 

[Stella]

I've been fascinated by this case for decades and now we know alot more than we did. Someone has to know where he is/was; who is protecting him and why? I don't know if he's clever enough to have escaped all these years by only his wits.
So many reasons put forth for why he committed such a heinous crime, IF he did it. I tend to believe that he asked perfection of himself at an early age (per d'Amboise), yet no matter how hard he tried, he found out that it's not WHAT you know but WHO you know in the State Department that gets you ahead. Coupled with everything else going on in his life, his frustrations found release in killing his family. In today's society, he probably would've spared his family and gone on a shooting rampage at his place of work. Sure hope this FBI poster results in his capture.

 

[Stella]

How do we know for sure he was the killer? Maybe I've read too many spy thrillers but, as a foreign service officer, who's to say what happened to his family wasn't part of something more nefarious?

I've thought that myself. Did he threaten someone at the State Department that morning after losing out on his promotion? Could they have sent someone to the house to wipe out the whole family in order to keep secrets of national security that perhaps WBB threatened to expose? I wonder who the woman was who supposedly accompanied WBB to North Carolina? What became of her. One article says the government was STILL using mind altering drugs on certain employees like the old MKUltra racket from the '40's and '50's. I'm going way out there but you never know.

 

[SophieRose]

The friend who stopped by the Bishop's house to pick up the children the day after the murders didn't notice the blood trail on the porch. In the reenactment, the neighbor who reported them missing because she hadn't seen them in a week also didn't mention it. Just wondering. Good thing the neighbor didn't use her key to go into the house.

The brush fire is what brought the ranger to the area where the bodies were. If Bishop had not set the bodies on fire, I wonder how long it would have been before they were discovered in the remote area.

Video about the murders. Shows pictures of four of the bodies, they don't look too burned.

 

[colette]

LE is looking in Southern California now:


Friday, the FBI announced that Bishop has Southern California roots.

Bishop was born in Pasadena and still has associations in the area. He was also known to have an affinity for the Sierra Nevada, authorities said.


Read more: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/0...iam-bradford-bishop-102274.html#ixzz2zNmKFrR0
Follow us: @ABC7News on Twitter | WJLATV on Facebook

 

[SophieRose]

LE is looking in Southern California now:


Friday, the FBI announced that Bishop has Southern California roots.

Bishop was born in Pasadena and still has associations in the area. He was also known to have an affinity for the Sierra Nevada, authorities said.


Read more: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/0...iam-bradford-bishop-102274.html#ixzz2zNmKFrR0
Follow us: @ABC7News on Twitter | WJLATV on Facebook

Looks like the family skied, probably skied sometimes at Mammoth (good fishing at the lakes in the summer) in the Sierras, but doubt he skis at 78 years old today. But could have a place nearby.

 

[colette]

A must see look at the evidence LE has been keeping all these years, CSI 1976. LE is confident they have the evidence if they go to trial on this case. The only thing they don't have is the sledgehammer used in the murders, it's never been found.

Instead, they have a copy of the receipt Bishop signed when he bought his sledgehammer at the Montgomery Mall Sears in Bethesda, Md., along with a similar sledgehammer the store gave to detectives in 1976.


http://www.nbcwashington.com/invest...nt-for-William-Bradford-Bishop-254602021.html

The video is very interesting.

 

[colette]

New show on CNN with John Walsh "The Hunt". Premieres July 13, 2014 at 9PM. One of the cases to be included will be Brad Bishop.



http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2014/06/us/the-hunt/

 

[Ruby Sue]

I used to work in Chowan, Tyrrell, and Hyde Counties, NC (where NC94 runs). I spent a lot of time on that road. I never knew this had happened until I watched "The Hunt" on CNN. I wonder if he sought out people he knew like his former coworker in the foreign countries just to try to prove how superior he was.

 

[Swamp Fox Trot]

The Isdal woman of Norway also had spies and body burned in remote location.

 

[Satch]

With those three sitings of William Bradford Bishop, over the years that were deemed credible, did the witnesses go to LE right away to report them or wait for awhile? Do you think he is still alive?

Satch

 

[Satch]

I've been fascinated by this case for decades and now we know alot more than we did. Someone has to know where he is/was; who is protecting him and why? I don't know if he's clever enough to have escaped all these years by only his wits.
So many reasons put forth for why he committed such a heinous crime, IF he did it. I tend to believe that he asked perfection of himself at an early age (per d'Amboise), yet no matter how hard he tried, he found out that it's not WHAT you know but WHO you know in the State Department that gets you ahead. Coupled with everything else going on in his life, his frustrations found release in killing his family. In today's society, he probably would've spared his family and gone on a shooting rampage at his place of work. Sure hope this FBI poster results in his capture.

Good points,

But what evidence is there that he didn't do the crime? Everything collected in the case points to Mr. Bishop as the killer of his family.

Satch

 

[JaimeSommers]

Caught a rerun of The Hunt last night that featured this case. Can't stop thinking about it, so I'm going to spend some time today researching all I can find. As if I need another gruesome case to obsess over!

 

[popsicle]

[h=1]The Hunt for William Bradford Bishop: Authorities Seek to Exhume Body in Alabama[/h][h=2]Body bears a "strong physical resemblence" to suspect in family's murder[/h]
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/l...278571321.html?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_DCBrand

Photo @ link. I think that's him.

 

[colette]

"In order to identify John Doe as William Bradford Bishop, the body of John Doe needs to be exhumed so dental records, fingerprints and DNA evidence can be collected and processed.”

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/l...278571321.html?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_DCBrand

It does look like him.
I don't understand why they did not have fingerprints and dental information done before burying an unidentified person. Makes no sense. If this is Bishop, all those who saw him overseas were mistaken.

 

[Satch]

I don't know,

That would make several later alleged sightings of him in the late 80's, early 90's, not credible. I recall the Co Worker restroom sighting in Europe. I remember when the co-worker called out to him, "Your Bradford Bishop aren't you?" The man took off like a shot out of a cannon. Wikipedia, which is not the most credible, because anyone can edit the information, says the restroom sighting happened in Italy, back in January, 1979. Here is the link about William Bradford Bishop from Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradford_Bishop

Satch