He was a Yale-educated diplomat.
A father. A husband. A murderer.
Then—he vanished.

In this haunting episode of Fugitive Files, we investigate the baffling and brutal case of William Bradford Bishop Jr., the former U.S. Foreign Service officer accused of bludgeoning his wife, mother, and three sons to death in 1976 before lighting their bodies on fire in a North Carolina forest.

The scene was shocking.
The motive? A cocktail of depression, insomnia, and simmering rage masked by a carefully curated life of prestige and intellect.

Bishop’s background reads like a success story: Yale graduate, multilingual, an expert in international affairs. But behind closed doors, investigators say he was unraveling. And after the murders, he disappeared—leaving behind a trail of blood and questions that span nearly five decades.

We explore:

• The chilling details of the family murders in Bethesda, Maryland

• Bishop’s psychological profile and warning signs

• A timeline of alleged sightings across Europe and the U.S.

• His placement on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List

• And the shocking recent twist: a biological daughter, Kathy Gillcrist, who uncovered her father’s identity through DNA testing, reigniting national interest

William Bradford Bishop Jr. remains one of the most intelligent, elusive, and disturbing fugitives in U.S. history.

This is Fugitive Files. Let’s get into it.