Amy Bishop, PhD… A Natural Born Killer?

Disturbing news is emerging in the tragic case of University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) Assistant Biology Professor Amy Bishop, PhD whom is accused of shooting 6 and killing three colleagues at Shelby Science Building on the 3d floor during a faculty meeting, after she apparently was denied tenure, but not at that meeting.

During her apprehension, which was videotaped by teevee news reporters, Bishop, whom is a mother of four children, all whom are staying with relatives, could be heard saying, “It didn’t happen. There’s no way… they are still alive.”

Huntsville, AL police say Bishop used a 9mm pistol in the killings, which she afterward placed in a second floor restroom, then called her husband James Anderson for a ride home. Madison county AL District Attorney Rob Broussard said that she may face additional charges, which could include attempted murder for the three wounded victims.

Despite her apparently stellar education, significant public renown stemming from her and her husband’s research, winning awards for business start-up capital, and being grantees of $1.25 million dollars seed-money from angel investors, she has had similar run-ins with the law.

Braintree, Massachusetts Police Chief Paul Frazier said that on December 6, 1986, when Amy was aged 19, she shot and killed her 18-year-old brother Seth with a pump shotgun after an argument at their residence of 46 Hollis Avenue, Braintree, MA, yet was never charged with any crime.

In an official statement, Chief Frazier contradicted the official report issued 24 years ago – which ruled the death of her brother Seth at Amy’s hand, as accidental – and said instead that Amy shot her brother Seth during an argument, then fled on foot with the 12 gauge shotgun, pointed it a passing car, and was later apprehended by police at gunpoint who took her to the police station for booking.

Chief Frazier’s official statement said in part that, “Officer Solimini recalled the incident as follows: He said he remembers that Ms. Bishop fired a round from a pump action shotgun into the wall of her bedroom. She had a fight with her brother and shot him, which caused his death. She fired a third round from the shotgun into the ceiling as she exited the home. She fled down the street with the shotgun in her hand. At one point she allegedly pointed the shotgun at a motor vehicle in an attempt to get the driver to stop. Officer Solimini found her behind a business on Washington Street. Officer Timothy Murphy was able to take control of the suspect at gunpoint and seized the shotgun. Ms. Bishop was subsequently handcuffed and transported to the police station under arrest. Officer Solimini informed me that before the booking process was completed Ms. Bishop was released from custody without being charged.”

He is also recorded as saying that Amy “was being booked by police and when the police chief at the time ordered the booking process stopped and Bishop released to her mother.” Records for the case have been missing since 1987, about which he said, “I don’t want to use the word ‘coverup,’ but this does not look good.”

The police report from Trooper Brian L. Howe, dated 30 March 1987, indicated that he “was directed by Detective Lieutenant James Sharkey to conduct an investigation into the fatal shooting of Seth Bishop...”

Trooper Howe reported that he then “contacted Captain Theodore Buker of the Braintree Police Department and was informed by Captain Buker that at approximately 1422 hours on December 6, 1986, the Braintree Police Department had responded to the report of a shooting a [sic] 46 Hollis Avenue in their town.”

Continuing, he wrote further that “upon arriving at the location, Officers Jordan and Murphy had observed the decedent lying on his back on the floor in a pool of blood in the kitchen area, with a large chest wound.”

“Captain Buker also stated that Amy Bishop had fled the residence immediately upon discharging the weapon and had subsequently been located by Braintree Officers and brought to the Braintree Police Department for questioning.”

“Individually Samuel, Judy and Amy Bishop were interviewed…” and that Samuel, Amy’s father, “stated that at the time he left the residence, his son Seth had been washing the car, Amy was in the house and his wife, Judy, was due to be at hom at sometime between 1100 and 1200 hours. Samuel stated that he had a disagreement with Amy before he left about a comment that she had made, adn that she had gone up to her room prior to his departing. He stated that upon his return to the residence, police and ambulance were at the house and that he was advised of the situation relating to the shooting of his son.”

Judy Bishop was interviewed and said she had been gone from the home from approximately 7AM and upon returning for lunch, her son Seth said “he would go to the store to pick up some food so that they could all have lunch.”

Upon Seth’s return from the grocery store, Judy said she was in “the livingroom and turned on the television. She stated that he was on his way into the kitchen when Amy came downstairs with the shotgun, came into the kitchen and asked Judy if she could help her unload the gun. Judy stated that she told Amy not to point the gun at anyone, and that Amy then turned, and in doing so, somehow discharged the weapon which subsequently hit her son Seth who as at that time walking into the kitchen from the livingroom.”

“Judy stated that she screamed and thereupon Amy ran out of the house. Judy stated that she then called the police, but she further added that she knew that Seth could not lice as the result of the injury which he had received.”

The report further indicated that before going downstairs, Amy had discharged the shotgun in her upstairs bedroom, but that “she did not hear any other shots fired, in particular, any shots fired in the upstairs bedroom, but she believed that the house was relatively well soundproofed and that such a discharge would not necessarily be heard on another floor of the house.”

When police interviewed Amy, she “stated that she did not know where her brother was during the day but thought that it would be a good idea if she learned how to load the shotgun in the house. She stated that she put the shells into the gun and then tried to get them out but was unsuccessful in doing this even though she attempted to unscrew the bottom casing of the gun. She stated that while she was attempting to unload the weapon which was on her bed, it discharged in her room,, but that she is unsure as whether or not her bedroom door was open at the time. She stated that she was beside her bed near the door at the time that the gun discharged, but that she could not specifically recall seeing anything coming out of the gun.”

“Amy further stated that she does not recall putting any additional bullets into the gun after it discharged, and that she then unscrewed the bottom of hte shaft in an attempt to empty the weapon, and when being unable to empty the weapon this way, she stated that she then screwed the bottom of the shaft back on.”

“Amy stated that Seth was walking across the kitchen between Amy and her mother and that Amy had teh gun i one hand and started to raise it. Amy further stated that someone said something to her and she turned and the gun went off. She stated that she remembered her brother ddaying, “Oh God,” and her mother screaming, and that Amy thought that she had ruined the kitchen but was not aware of the fact that she had struck her brother with the shotgun discharge.”

“Amy did tell these officers that her borhter Seth had verbally told her previously how to hold the gun but that she had always previously been afraid of it.“