A North Carolina woman adopted more than six decades ago made a horrifying discovery when a DNA test revealed that her biological father was a suspected mass murderer.
Kathy Gillcrist was stunned to learn that her father had appeared on the FBI’s most wanted list in connection with the 1976 killings of his wife, mother and three sons.
‘The more I hear about him, the scarier it is,’ she told WXII 12. ‘I googled him and the first thing that popped up was his wanted poster from the FBI.’
Gillcrist was adopted during the 1950s and discovered her biological father’s identity only after taking a 23andMe DNA test.
The results took about six weeks to arrive. Because she identified herself as adopted, Gillcrist was hoping to learn more about her biological relatives.
She soon found that a cousin had also appeared in the results. The pair developed a relationship, and the cousin—who was a genealogist—helped Gillcrist determine who her father was.
‘I was shocked. I have to say, and it’s not because I am a horrible person but I laughed because of just how crazy it was,’ she told the outlet.
‘I was here expecting some famous person,’ Gillcrist added. ‘Maybe Ronald Reagan was my father, you know. But, no. It’s a murderer wanted by the FBI.’
Kathy Gillcrist was stunned to discover that her father was on the FBI’s most wanted list in connection with the 1976 killings of his wife, mother and three sons
Her father was William Bradford Bishop, a fugitive wanted over the horrific killings of his family in Bethesda, Maryland, where he allegedly beat them to death
Gillcrist was adopted during the 1950s and learned her father’s identity through a 23andMe DNA test. After discovering who he was, she spent years gathering journal entries, newspaper clippings, notes and wanted posters
Gillcrist learned that her father was William Bradford Bishop, a fugitive sought in connection with the brutal killings of his family in Bethesda, Maryland. He allegedly bludgeoned them to death.
Bishop allegedly transported the bodies to North Carolina, where they were burned, before abandoning his vehicle and vanishing, according to the outlet.
He was added to the FBI’s most wanted list in 2014.
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‘I thought, “Wow, this is absolutely horrible,” and I realized that I remembered when that happened. I was a freshman in college—I went to Boston and the murders took place in DC,’ she told the outlet.
As she learned more about her father’s identity, Gillcrist became increasingly determined to document the case. Over the years, she collected journal entries, newspaper clippings, notes and wanted posters.
During the pandemic, she turned her experiences into a book titled ‘It’s In My Genes.’
‘You know, it’s not a game. Science is real. And once you learn information that’s true, you can’t take it back. So, be careful is my message,’ she said.
The release of her book brought widespread attention to the story. Gillcrist became close to the FBI and began receiving tips from people around the world.
Bishop allegedly transported his family’s bodies to North Carolina, where they were burned, before abandoning his car and disappearing. Pictured: Bishop’s wife, Annette, and two of his sons
If he were still alive, Bishop would be 90, and Gillcrist said she would have many questions for him.
‘I would ask him if he knew he had a daughter and how that might have felt,’ she told the outlet.
‘If he’s still alive, what does he think about everything that has come forth about him? I guess I would ask what motivated him to do that. I don’t know that he would even have an answer.’
Nearly 50 years later, the killings remain unsolved.
There have been reported sightings over the years, particularly in Europe, but Gillcrist said it has been years since investigators received photographs linked to possible sightings.
‘They’ve never found Bishop. The case is not closed,’ she added.
