The FBI has reignited a 15-year-old manhunt for one of America's most notorious fugitives, releasing a chilling new clue that could finally crack the cold case wide open.
Bradley Robert Bishop, a former US diplomat, has been on the run since 2011, wanted for the brutal murder of his entire family in a shocking and calculated attack. Now, investigators have unveiled a previously unseen photograph believed to show the exact vehicle Bishop used to escape, offering a potential breakthrough.
A Trail Gone Cold
Bishop, then 41, is alleged to have bludgeoned his mother, wife, and three young sons to death in their Maryland family home before setting the property ablaze in a bid to cover his tracks. His abandoned car was later discovered, engulfed in flames, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, but the diplomat himself had vanished without a trace.
For over a decade, the trail has remained cold, with Bishop's name etched onto the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list, a haunting reminder of the unsolved atrocity.
The Breakthrough Image
The newly released evidence is a grainy still from a petrol station security camera, dated March 1, 2011. It depicts a man, believed to be Bishop, filling up a white 2011 Ford Focus. Crucially, the image captures the vehicle's licence plate, a vital piece of evidence that had not been publicised until now.
"This is the vehicle we believe Bradley Bishop was operating at the time he fled," an FBI spokesperson stated. "We are appealing to the public. Someone may have seen this car, or perhaps even sold it to him. No piece of information is too small."
A Global Manhunt and a £75,000 Reward
Authorities have long theorised that Bishop, who was fluent in multiple languages including Italian and French, may have fled the United States entirely. His diplomatic skills and knowledge of international protocols made him a uniquely challenging fugitive to track.
In a renewed push for justice, the FBI is offering a staggering reward of up to £75,000 for information that directly leads to Bishop's capture. "Fifteen years is a long time, but our resolve to find him and bring closure to the victims' extended family has not diminished," the spokesperson added.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the FBI immediately. The hunt for one of America's most elusive fugitives continues, but with this new clue, hope for a resolution burns brighter than it has in years.
