William Bradford Bishop Jr. (born August 1, 1936) is a former United States Foreign Service officer who has been a fugitive from justice since killing his wife, mother, and three sons in 1976.

[6] William Bradford Bishop Jr. was born August 1, 1936, in Pasadena, California, to Lobelia Amaryllis St. Germain and William Bradford Bishop Sr.[7][8] He attended South Pasadena High School and received a bachelor of science degree in history from Yale University and a master of arts degree in international studies from Middlebury College.

[2] Bishop's last posting, which began in 1974, was at State Department headquarters in Washington, D.C., as an assistant chief in the Division of Special Activities and Commercial Treaties.

[2] On March 1, 1976, after learning he would not receive the promotion he had sought,[13] Bishop told his secretary that he was feeling unwell and left his office in Foggy Bottom.

[15] Forest rangers attracted by smoke found the bodies along with a gas can, a pitchfork, and a shovel with a partially legible label bearing the letters OCH HDW (later determined to refer to Poch's Hardware).

[1][15] The car contained dog biscuits, a bloody blanket, a shotgun, an ax and a shaving kit with Bishop's medication; the trunk's spare-tire well was full of blood.

Police theorized that Bishop joined the flow of hikers on the Appalachian Trail; they attempted to follow his scent with bloodhounds but without success.

The FBI states that Bishop is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys camping and hiking, and reports that he has a pilot's license from when he was stationed in Africa.

[25] Since 1976, there have been numerous claimed sightings of Bishop in various European countries, including Italy, Belgium, England, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

[3] The three most credible sightings noted by the United States Marshals Service are: After the initial investigation, the Bishop case became the subject of articles in national publications like Reader's Digest and Time at milestone anniversaries.

Bishop was profiled on the AMW website thirty-three years to the day since his family's bodies were discovered, with a new age-enhanced bust of him with facial hair.

A German TV show, Aktenzeichen XY… ungelöst, also featured the case in its 250th episode on November 6, 1992, to find possible evidence of Bishop living abroad.

In 2010, authorities believed Bishop was living in Switzerland, Italy or elsewhere in Europe, or possibly in California; he may have worked as a teacher or become involved in criminal activities.

[28] Authorities revealed in 2010 that before the murders, Bishop had been corresponding with federal prison inmate Albert Kenneth Bankston in the United States Penitentiary in Marion, Illinois,[28] though it is unknown why or how.

Using Taylor's sculpture, several alternative images were created by Lisa Sheppard to show the addition of facial hair and glasses.

[36][37] In early April 2014, WRC-TV in Washington, D.C. launched a webpage to display multiple investigative reports and extensive information on the Bishop case.