Jesse Walter Bishop (March 1, 1933 – October 22, 1979) was an American criminal convicted of the December 1977 murder of David Ballard during a robbery at a Las Vegas Strip casino.

[2] Bishop had spent twenty years of his life incarcerated for various felony offenses and bragged about having committed an estimated eighteen homicides.

One of four children, Bishop's parents separated when he was 5, resulting in him moving in with his father in East Los Angeles, California.

He spent two years at the United States Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, before returning to life as a civilian.

In 1976, he won a parole to Los Angeles, however, according to prison records, he continued to abuse heroin and commit crimes.

Thompson survived the shooting, but Ballard, a 22-year-old newlywed Volkswagen mechanic from Baltimore, Maryland, succumbed to his injuries and died in hospital on December 30.

[7] Following the shooting, Bishop fled the casino in a green car, which was found abandoned at the Frontier Hotel the following day.

He later robbed a man at the Union Plaza Hotel in downtown Las Vegas a day after the murder and stole his car.

[10] Despite claiming he would shoot it out with authorities, Bishop surrendered quietly and was taken into custody before being taken back to Las Vegas to face charges.

An automatic appeal was filed against the wishes of Bishop, who tried to fire his attorneys in an attempt to speed up his execution.

[14] However, on August 25, Justice William Rehnquist issued a stay, ordering the state of Nevada to answer a series of questions.

[18] His last meal was filet mignon, tossed salad with Thousand Island dressing, asparagus, baked potato with sour cream and an unspecified dessert.