So I was trying to find the articles on my computer of the man who was fired from his Government job and then returned to his nice home in the suburbs of DC, to shoot his three sons, mother and wife to death and then, their charred remains were found in a remote park nearby.
The man was seen in Europe.

Anyone remember this guy's name? Scary story, that your father would come back from work and kill you :\

So I was trying to find the articles on my computer of the man who was fired from his Government job and then returned to his nice home in the suburbs of DC, to shoot his three sons, mother and wife to death and then, their charred remains were found in a remote park nearby.
The man was seen in Europe.

Anyone remember this guy's name? Scary story, that your father would come back from work and kill you :\

Yes I remember that one. His name was Brad Bishop and he is still on the run. Here is an article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/01/AR2006030102328.html

William Bradford "Brad" Bishop, Jr.

He wasn't fired, he was passed over for a promotion at the State Department. It's hard to track down a guy who had the means and the opportunity to make himself multiple passports before he left.


Edited to add: Sorry CD, I must have been typing while you were and you're faster. :)

Thanks. This case always scares me because I want to eventually work for the Government.

Thanks. This case always scares me because I want to eventually work for the Government.

Why? There are plenty of individuals who work for the govt. that don;t kill their families.

I would think if you are a good and decent person, you should have a great career in government?

Brad Bishop could have been a toilet scrubber and he could have done what he did.

The advantage Bishop had was that his job made his means of escape easier.

Brad Bishop was a product of pure evil, not of anything the government did. (and this is coming from a guy who is believes in govt. conspiracies)

Why? There are plenty of individuals who work for the govt. that don;t kill their families.

I would think if you are a good and decent person, you should have a great career in government?

Brad Bishop could have been a toilet scrubber and he could have done what he did.

The advantage Bishop had was that his job made his means of escape easier.

Brad Bishop was a product of pure evil, not of anything the government did. (and this is coming from a guy who is believes in govt. conspiracies)

Oh no I know, it's just I can see how stress was a huge factor on him. Some people just can't handle it, like him.

Oh no I know, it's just I can see how stress was a huge factor on him. Some people just can't handle it, like him.

I understand.

It's just that there are several people in the world who have stressfull jobs but managed not

I think if you look deeply into his background, Brad Bishop was messed up way before he got deeply into his govt. job.

I think family stress had more to do with his act than the job. It sounded like he wife and mother weren;t the most easiest people to get along with (not that they deserve what Brad did to them!:mad: )

I think being passed over for the promotion was the last straw for Brad's mind.

I found it almost impossible that the guy who last saw him before he escaped managed to stumble onto him in a bathroom in FRANCE...years after the murders happened. I'm not convinced that the guy was definitely Brad Bishop.

I found it almost impossible that the guy who last saw him before he escaped managed to stumble onto him in a bathroom in FRANCE...years after the murders happened. I'm not convinced that the guy was definitely Brad Bishop.

Consider the number of co-workers with semi-nomadic lifestyles (state department employees typically move to a new assignment every 2-3 years), add to that other non-state department personnel he would have met during his service (Marines who guard the embassies, FBI, CIA, etc.) and I find it surprising he wasn't spotted more than he was.

I found it almost impossible that the guy who last saw him before he escaped managed to stumble onto him in a bathroom in FRANCE...years after the murders happened. I'm not convinced that the guy was definitely Brad Bishop.

I think it was Italy, actually. But you're right. The odds of that actually being him are very slim.

In any event, it's been over 30 years since he murdered his family so even if they caught him tomorrow he still technically got away with it.

Interesting little article here on the subject:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/01/AR2006030102328.html

Thanks. This case always scares me because I want to eventually work for the Government.

I think you'll be okay. There were other factors that made Bishop do what he did, I'm sure.

I think you'll be okay. There were other factors that made Bishop do what he did, I'm sure.

Yeah, most government workers do not have a nagging mother and whining wife constantly harassing them and putting them down at home, like Brad Bishop. Doesn't justify the murders, of course, but even the detectives were rather sympathetic in the segment.

Just to say how things can turn when a parent, a spouse or a family member cannot bare it anymore, we have had a case with similarities a few days ago here in Quebec, in the city of Saguenay.

A man and his common-law spouse, who had three children together, couldn't bare anymore to cope with the financial strains and the stress of their lives. So they concluded a suicide pact. They left their respective jobs and spent lavishly on gifts for their families during the holidays. Then, on New Years' Eve, they killed their three children in their sleep (we still do not know how, but allegedly they were smothered to death) and attempted to commit suicide.

The thing is, while the man succeeded in killing himself, she didn't. After cutting her wrists she called 911 while she was bleeding, but she was found before she died. The result, she is now facing 3 charges of first-degree murder and 1 charge of assisting or encouraging a suicide.

I hope Brad Bishop gets caught and brought to justice. The case is a lot like John List's case.

I hope Brad Bishop gets caught and brought to justice. The case is a lot like John List's case.

Brad may be dead at this point given his age.

We would never know if he passed away in a hostel somewhere in Europe.

The thing that bothers me so much in this case is that i can understand killing your nagging wife and mother. But why kill your kids??!!! They did nothing!!!

That is the really evil thing about his act. :mad:

I'm sorry, but I cannot understand killing your nagging wife and mother.

I'm in the camp of: if you're going to commit a big murder suicide scenario, just skip the murder part of your plan and everyone will be a lot happier.

This is another one that was shown today with no resolution. This guy is fluent in english, french, serbo-croation, and one other language, I forget which one, and he holds a diplomatic passport.

He's been on the run for more than 30 years now? I wonder if those diplomat passports expire like regular citizen passports do.

I can't believe that with all his talents and a good gov't job, he killed his whole family and left the country. What the heck was he thinking?

This is another one that was shown today with no resolution. This guy is fluent in english, french, serbo-croation, and one other language, I forget which one, and he holds a diplomatic passport.

He's been on the run for more than 30 years now? I wonder if those diplomat passports expire like regular citizen passports do.

I can't believe that with all his talents and a good gov't job, he killed his whole family and left the country. What the heck was he thinking?

I'm sure that he stopped using the diplomatic passport in his name very soon after the incident, if at all. As I have said before, I suspect he had several regular passports with aliases ready for his flight from prosecution. With a false passport he may have been able to secure citizenship in another country. I think it is also possible, although less likely, that he may have been able to defect to an eastern bloc country and disappear. As a career diplomat, he may very well have had information they would want. If he defected to Yugoslavia (a likely choice given his linguistic history), it is entirely possible that either a) his records were lost in the chaos of the collapse and/or b) he was killed in the atrocities that followed the breakup.

All good points, Necco.

I'm sorry, but I cannot understand killing your nagging wife and mother.
LOL thats what i was thinking

I found it almost impossible that the guy who last saw him before he escaped managed to stumble onto him in a bathroom in FRANCE...years after the murders happened. I'm not convinced that the guy was definitely Brad Bishop.
Well he spoke fluent Italian, so this wouldn't be surprising. Plus, if he acted even similar to the guy in the re-enactment and said similar things, sounds like a good possibility that it was definitely him.

I got to say I think the guy who "saw" him in Italy was a nutjob. He seemed like he was one of those people who enjoyed the spotlight. In the UM segment that have this guy leaving the office building the same time with Brad who tells him how upset he was that he was passed over for the promotion and then this is the same guy who sees him a few years later. I never brought it....the guy was just odd to me.

I got to say I think the guy who "saw" him in Italy was a nutjob. He seemed like he was one of those people who enjoyed the spotlight. In the UM segment that have this guy leaving the office building the same time with Brad who tells him how upset he was that he was passed over for the promotion and then this is the same guy who sees him a few years later. I never brought it....the guy was just odd to me.

I got to say I think the guy who "saw" him in Italy was a nutjob. He seemed like he was one of those people who enjoyed the spotlight. In the UM segment that have this guy leaving the office building the same time with Brad who tells him how upset he was that he was passed over for the promotion and then this is the same guy who sees him a few years later. I never brought it....the guy was just odd to me.

1. It's not as strange as you might think. Remember they both did the same job which required that they visit the same places and areas. It's very probable that Brad Bishop would go to a place he was familiar with and could blend in easier.

2. It's always possible that his friend may have been mistaken and the guy wasn't Brad Bishop. Just some homeless nutball.

3. I wouldn't rule out the possibility that his friend was abetting Brad Bishop in some way and that relationship soured so much that he decided to report where Brad was.

Thanks. This case always scares me because I want to eventually work for the Government.

I am sorry but this may be the most absurd post I have ever read on this (or any) message board. What does your desire to work for the federal government have to do with Bishop murdedring his family? It should be quite obvious (to anyone with an IQ higher than that of a loaf of bread) that federal employment and murder are not inclusive. Bishop was simply a guy (who happened to work for the state department) that snapped (after years of pent up tension) and murdered his family. Just because somebody works for the federal government does not mean they will become a murderer. I'm sorry but I don't understand your logic. Why does this worry you? I haven't murdered my family.

I would be interested in hearing your logic.

1. It's not as strange as you might think. Remember they both did the same job which required that they visit the same places and areas. It's very probable that Brad Bishop would go to a place he was familiar with and could blend in easier.

2. It's always possible that his friend may have been mistaken and the guy wasn't Brad Bishop. Just some homeless nutball.

3. I wouldn't rule out the possibility that his friend was abetting Brad Bishop in some way and that relationship soured so much that he decided to report where Brad was.


Remember, the show is called Unsolved Mysteries. The sighting is just one other strange event that makes this case more fsacinating. I think Mr. harrell is credible. If the re-enactment is at all close to real life (and how the sighting actually went down), then the stranger's behavioor enough is evident that it was Bishop (again, making a judgement based strictly on the re-enactment makes for a bselss argument. see my post regarding Tim McClure regarding this). Without the sighting in Italy, this case is just like any other murder case.

1. It's not as strange as you might think. Remember they both did the same job which required that they visit the same places and areas. It's very probable that Brad Bishop would go to a place he was familiar with and could blend in easier.

2. It's always possible that his friend may have been mistaken and the guy wasn't Brad Bishop. Just some homeless nutball.

3. I wouldn't rule out the possibility that his friend was abetting Brad Bishop in some way and that relationship soured so much that he decided to report where Brad was.


Remember, the show is called Unsolved Mysteries. The sighting is just one other strange event that makes this case more fsacinating. I think Mr. harrell is credible. If the re-enactment is at all close to real life (and how the sighting actually went down), then the stranger's behavior enough is evident that it was Bishop (again, making a judgement based strictly on the re-enactment makes for a bselss argument. see my post regarding Tim McClure regarding this). Without the sighting in Italy, this case is just like any other murder case.

1. It's not as strange as you might think. Remember they both did the same job which required that they visit the same places and areas. It's very probable that Brad Bishop would go to a place he was familiar with and could blend in easier.

2. It's always possible that his friend may have been mistaken and the guy wasn't Brad Bishop. Just some homeless nutball.

3. I wouldn't rule out the possibility that his friend was abetting Brad Bishop in some way and that relationship soured so much that he decided to report where Brad was.


Remember, the show is called Unsolved Mysteries. The sighting is just one other strange event that makes this case more fsacinating. I think Mr. harrell is credible. If the re-enactment is at all close to real life (and how the sighting actually went down), then the stranger's behavior enough is evident that it was Bishop (again, making a judgement based strictly on the re-enactment makes for a bselss argument. see my post regarding Tim McClure regarding this). Without the sighting in Italy, this case is just like any other murder case.

I am sorry but this may be the most absurd post I have ever read on this (or any) message board. What does your desire to work for the federal government have to do with Bishop murdedring his family? It should be quite obvious (to anyone with an IQ higher than that of a loaf of bread) that federal employment and murder are not inclusive. Bishop was simply a guy (who happened to work for the state department) that snapped (after years of pent up tension) and murdered his family. Just because somebody works for the federal government does not mean they will become a murderer. I'm sorry but I don't understand your logic. Why does this worry you? I haven't murdered my family.

I would be interested in hearing your logic.

I would like to know the answer to this too. My husband has worked for the federal government for over 15 years and he is far, far from being a murder! I think that there have been too many "coincidences" of postal workers doing bad things, and in fact, I believe that's where the term "going postal" was coined. However, most people who work for the postal service are completely normal hard working individuals.

But back on topic, I do remember the case about the guy in DC killing his entire family. Wow, that is SO scary!

I would like to know the answer to this too. My husband has worked for the federal government for over 15 years and he is far, far from being a murder! I think that there have been too many "coincidences" of postal workers doing bad things, and in fact, I believe that's where the term "going postal" was coined. However, most people who work for the postal service are completely normal hard working individuals.

But back on topic, I do remember the case about the guy in DC killing his entire family. Wow, that is SO scary!


Agreed. C'mon! Every federal employee is also a cold-blodded murderer? Evel Knievel couldn't make that jump.