Roy Harrell's Alleged Sighting of Brad Bishop

[Janel "Jaycee" Miller]

Hi --

Many of us have discussed or at least heard about Roy Harrell's alleged 1979 sighting of Brad Bishop (who allegedly killed his family a few years earlier) in Italy.

I could be very wrong, but I thought someone on this site at posted a link to an article (or something similar) where authorities talk about how they managed to figure out Roy Harrell was lying about what happened in Italy. I am looking for that link.

I have done several searches and read through at least one Brad Bishop thread (admittedly, not the really long one) but can't find it. Can anyone help? Thanks.

[Gelatinous Goo]

I think I remember what you're talking about, but there was never any proof--it was just another opinion. It was nothing of any importance that you need to waste time in searching for it or rereading it.

[soilentgreen]

I know that there's been skepticism of Harrell's statements, but I don't believe that his allegations were ever discredited.

Nor was Harrell the first individual who was acquainted with Bishop to report seeing him in Europe. A document on the case notes that Harrell reported the sighting to the RSO the following day, and that there was an initial sighting in Stockholm in July 1978, when Barbara Egertie, who knew Bishop from his time in Addis Ababa, alleged that she she had seen him on two occasions (she was 75% certain that it was Bishop).

In my opinion some of the sightings were credible, in that the individuals believed that they had seen Bishop, regardless if it was him or not. The sighting of him with a woman at a ski resort in Italy in January 1976 (around two months prior to the homicides) by two members of another delegation suggests another potential motive for his crime and possible tie to Europe.

[ufohealer]

This documentary says a female neighbor of the bishop family, who played tennis doubles with Bradford & Bradford's wife, saw him in 1993 in Basel, Switzerland on a train. And Bishop SAW her too! (Its at the 11:30 - 12:50 min mark.) She says she was 100% certain. wow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQNOiv1oQ4Q

Originally Posted by soilentgreen

I know that there's been skepticism of Harrell's statements, but I don't believe that his allegations were ever discredited.

Nor was Harrell the first individual who was acquainted with Bishop to report seeing him in Europe. A document on the case notes that Harrell reported the sighting to the RSO the following day, and that there was an initial sighting in Stockholm in July 1978, when Barbara Egertie, who knew Bishop from his time in Addis Ababa, alleged that she she had seen him on two occasions (she was 75% certain that it was Bishop).

In my opinion some of the sightings were credible, in that the individuals believed that they had seen Bishop, regardless if it was him or not. The sighting of him with a woman at a ski resort in Italy in January 1976 (around two months prior to the homicides) by two members of another delegation suggests another potential motive for his crime and possible tie to Europe.

[ufohealer]

I believe Roy's 1979 sighting. The authorities "who figured out he was lying" perhaps made an error in their evaluation of his story. I live 2 hours from Chicago and when I was in the military in 2001 I stayed at a hotel on the east coast after coming home from Kuwait. My uncle, who lives in Chicago, heard that I was on the east coast for 1 night only - so my mom called him and we ended up hanging out for the evening. (He was there for 2 months working) Well we all figured my uncle was like perhaps 1 mile away or 2 miles away across the city. Shockingly he was staying at the motel right next to my motel! So he didn't have to pick me up - I just walked over there.

I also ran into a guy, who I knew from Texas, when I was in Iraq for 45 days. It was surreal seeing each other. We laughed about it. So Roy's story perhaps was real???

Originally Posted by Janel "Jaycee" Miller

Hi --

Many of us have discussed or at least heard about Roy Harrell's alleged 1979 sighting of Brad Bishop (who allegedly killed his family a few years earlier) in Italy.

I could be very wrong, but I thought someone on this site at postedca link to an article (or something similar) where authorities talk about how they managed to figure out Roy Harrell was lying about what happened in Italy. I am looking for that link.

I have done several searches and read through at least one Brad Bishop thread (admittedly, not the really long one) but can't find it. Can anyone help? Thanks.

[Gelatinous Goo]

Originally Posted by ufohealer

I believe Roy's 1979 sighting. The authorities "who figured out he was lying" perhaps made an error in their evaluation of his story. I live 2 hours from Chicago and when I was in the military in 2001 I stayed at a hotel on the east coast after coming home from Kuwait. My uncle, who lives in Chicago, heard that I was on the east coast for 1 night only - so my mom called him and we ended up hanging out for the evening. (He was there for 2 months working) Well we all figured my uncle was like perhaps 1 mile away or 2 miles away across the city. Shockingly he was staying at the motel right next to my motel! So he didn't have to pick me up - I just walked over there.

I also ran into a guy, who I knew from Texas, when I was in Iraq for 45 days. It was surreal seeing each other. We laughed about it. So Roy's story perhaps was real???

This sort of thing has to be more common than people think. It's happened to me. Many years ago, I stopped in Tacoma, WA for a concert. I live thousands of miles from that area and have no connections to the city. I sat beside a nice couple for the show. Six months later, I happened to again be in Seattle. A bunch of us were boarding a Greyhound heading south. I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was this same couple! I had never met them before the first time, and never saw them again.

Conversely (and getting back to the Bishop sightings), I think there is a lot to be said of the potential of the human mind playing tricks on the witnesses. While it can neither be proven or disproved, anyone who knew Bishop who was going over to Europe certainly had to think to themselves, "I wonder if I'll have a Brad sighting?!". They would be both consciously and subconsciously looking for his face wherever they went. I'd think that the potential for mistaken identity would be significantly heightened as a result of this. Again, this doesn't validate or invalidate the supposed sightings.

[bigted12]

Originally Posted by Gelatinous Goo

This sort of thing has to be more common than people think. It's happened to me. Many years ago, I stopped in Tacoma, WA for a concert. I live thousands of miles from that area and have no connections to the city. I sat beside a nice couple for the show. Six months later, I happened to again be in Seattle. A bunch of us were boarding a Greyhound heading south. I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was this same couple! I had never met them before the first time, and never saw them again.

Conversely (and getting back to the Bishop sightings), I think there is a lot to be said of the potential of the human mind playing tricks on the witnesses. While it can neither be proven or disproved, anyone who knew Bishop who was going over to Europe certainly had to think to themselves, "I wonder if I'll have a Brad sighting?!". They would be both consciously and subconsciously looking for his face wherever they went. I'd think that the potential for mistaken identity would be significantly heightened as a result of this. Again, this doesn't validate or invalidate the supposed sightings.

Yeah! The universe has some strange ways of playing out...

I have a friend of a friend from CT, when covid first hit, he knew he'd end up working from home so he decided to get out thinking it would get pretty bad here... so he found some small greek island where theres barely any tourists...

One day he walks past a waterpark, and it was one of those things where when you go down the slide, they take your picture, and you have the chance the buy it...there was a glass thing outside with the display ones, there was his exgirlfriend from CT in one of the pictures!

I once worked with a girl in 2008 in an office while i was college...a few years later back home, 150 miles away i start dating a girl... we split up..then years after that.. after we've split up, i get recommended some facebook suggestion thing... in the profile picture of my ex, is my ex and this girl in some bar...on a night out..

so yeah it wouldn't surprise me.

[Labonte18]

Originally Posted by ufohealer

This documentary says a female neighbor of the bishop family, who played tennis doubles with Bradford & Bradford's wife, saw him in 1993 in Basel, Switzerland on a train. And Bishop SAW her too! (Its at the 11:30 - 12:50 min mark.) She says she was 100% certain. wow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQNOiv1oQ4Q

I believe that would be the 4th person who knew him who just happened to bump into him in Europe?

All in different countries, I believe?

"I believe in coincidences, coincidences happen everyday, but I don't trust coincidences" -Garak

I certainly don't trust 3 or 4 coincidences.


to be clear.. I don't think any of the 4 are lying.. but I don't think they are all correct, either.

[TheCars1986]

Originally Posted by Janel "Jaycee" Miller

I could be very wrong, but I thought someone on this site at posted a link to an article (or something similar) where authorities talk about how they managed to figure out Roy Harrell was lying about what happened in Italy. I am looking for that link.

This post in the main Brad Bishop thread.

Originally Posted by dallascowboyfan

Six months later, in January 1979, a former State Department employee said he had seen Brad—bearded and disheveled—in a public restroom in Sorrento, Italy. “You’re Brad Bishop,” he exclaimed. The bearded man replied, “Oh, no!” then fled out “into a blinding rain,” said the tipster. The Sorrento sighting was considered credible and went into the Brad Bishop lore for more than a decade. But when investigators interviewed the tipster again in the 1990s, they found him providing so many details about his relationship with Brad and other people close to him that they began to doubt his credibility. “He seemed to like the attention [we were giving him] and the talking a little too much,” said one investigator.

To test his veracity, the cops asked the tipster if he knew anything about Brad’s connection to a certain person of interest. But the person didn’t really exist. The investigators had just made him up to test their source. They gave their fictional character a random last name based, whimsically, on the cop’s father-in-law’s name.

“Let me think about that and check my notes,” said the ex–State Department official who claimed to know Brad so well.

The next day the tipster came back said he’d found his notes. He then produced an elaborate story about the nonexistent person and his relationship with Brad. To the cops, that fanciful tale totally discredited his supposed restroom sighting in Sorrento. His claims have been dismissed ever since.

[ufohealer]

I believe the lady neighbor who "saw" Bradford in Switzerland. I also believe his co-workers sighting. Perhaps the other sightings were just mistakes.

I think the chances go up of "his sightings" because he was on the run in the late 70s, 80s, and 90; so Bradford never remained in one place only like most older people do, but rather moved around a lot thus opening up more chances to be seen! I ran into 2 people in strange places that I never thought I would see = in the middle east and near Seattle. was awkward but then cool to chat with them for a few minutes.

Originally Posted by Labonte18

I believe that would be the 4th person who knew him who just happened to bump into him in Europe?

All in different countries, I believe?

"I believe in coincidences, coincidences happen everyday, but I don't trust coincidences" -Garak

I certainly don't trust 3 or 4 coincidences.


to be clear.. I don't think any of the 4 are lying.. but I don't think they are all correct, either.

[schmave]

There is a considerable difference between being mistaken and flat out lying, and I believe Harrell falls into the first category. But at the same time, it's impossible to be 100% sure he was mistaken.
Bishop is probably dead by now in any case.

[Labonte18]

Originally Posted by ufohealer

I believe the lady neighbor who "saw" Bradford in Switzerland. I also believe his co-workers sighting. Perhaps the other sightings were just mistakes.

I think the chances go up of "his sightings" because he was on the run in the late 70s, 80s, and 90; so Bradford never remained in one place only like most older people do, but rather moved around a lot thus opening up more chances to be seen! I ran into 2 people in strange places that I never thought I would see = in the middle east and near Seattle. was awkward but then cool to chat with them for a few minutes.

I allow the possibility that one.. MAYBE two, though.. That's really stretching things.. Could have been legitimate sightings.

The three/four sighting that we talk about are only the tip of the iceberg. Those are just considered the most credible sightings because they were people who knew him.

Originally Posted by schmave

There is a considerable difference between being mistaken and flat out lying, and I believe Harrell falls into the first category. But at the same time, it's impossible to be 100% sure he was mistaken.
Bishop is probably dead by now in any case.

Even is he is dead and perhaps has been for quite some time.. He might still be found. We see those cases from time to time, most recently with Sharon Kinne.

So.. I hold out some hope that no matter what, we might get some info as to whether these sightings were legitimate or not. Once it's found where he is, then it's not overly difficult to track his movements backwards. Which would be done, because law enforcement would be looking for anyone who might have helped him evade justice.

one issue I have.. The first two sightings were about 6 months apart.. One in Sweden and the other in Italy. The next in 1994 in Switzerland..

Now.. That does make sense that he wouldn't stay in one spot for any real length of time.. But.. You also have to consider.. Guy wasn't rich. His skills are.. Not exactly great for 'normal' employment. He's got degrees in history, African studies, Italian and the like.. Which.. are all excellent for him integrating into Europe.. But not all that great for getting a job that would help him lay low.

You also have to go back and look at Whitey Bulger. There were sightings of him all over the world.. The only one that apparently was accurate was where he was captured, in Santa Monica, where he had pretty much been living since he went on the run.

We say it all the time, but then we ignore it when the next report comes out.. Eyewitnesses are generally the most unreliable evidence that there is.

[Calliope68]

I don't agree that WBB probably committed suicide. I don't believe that was ever in his plan. He was intelligent - he had degrees from Yale and was in CIA Intelligence. He learned some things along the way. He had about a week head start and his passport. Ithink soe of the sightings were legit
1) He had been stationed overseas by the CIA before & he wanted to go overseas again. Something his mother & wife did not want to do again.
2) He was fluent in Italian which 8 precent Swedes speak & English is a second language in Switzerland
My thoughts are he was thinking about this for a while - He wife & mom were very critical of him. I think he planned at least part of it out to be sure he had a viable exit strategy and he decide if he did not get promotion that was D Day. I don't think he could deal with his mom & wife anymore and if he did not get the promotion to get away he would do it himself.
There is a very good chance he is deceased now though, Maybe if he had any other children after his disappearance they will do a DNA test like his daughter did and we know where he ended up.

[MegtheEgg86]

I've always believed the Harrell sighting.

[Janel "Jaycee" Miller]

Originally Posted by TheCars1986

This post in the main Brad Bishop thread.

Yes! This is it! Thanks.