Where is Kathy Gillcrist now? Details explored ahead of People Magazine Investigates

Kathy Gillcrist's life turned upside down after she uncovered a secret about her biological father. A retired high school teacher, Gillcrist was aware that she had been adopted, and in 2017, she took up a personal quest of trying to learn more about her birth family. Her third cousin led her back to her birth mother, whom she met after performing a DNA test.

However, the biggest discovery came when she found out who her biological father was. What Gillcrist learned was chilling: her father, William Bradford Bishop, was not just any man but was a fugitive wanted by the FBI for the brutal killings of his wife, three children, and mother in 1976. Currently, Kathy Gillcrist is living in North Carolina.

She has become the subject of an episode in People Magazine Investigates titled My Father Was a Mass Murderer, which airs on December 23, 2024, on Investigation Discovery. This episode explores Kathy's emotional journey and her search for answers.

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Kathy Gillcrist's discovery regarding her biological father

After retiring as a teacher, Kathy Gillcrist did a DNA test, hoping that it would clarify her past. The result led to a third cousin who pointed her in the direction of tracing her biological mother, who gave her.

While hunting for more information about her family line, she discovered the real identity of her father, William Bradford Bishop. She found out that he was one of the FBI's Most Wanted, who had escaped on a charge of killing his wife, three children, and mother. In March 1976, Bishop brutally killed his family and burnt down their bodies in Columbia, North Carolina, as per People.

The investigators found his fingerprints near the crime scene, which could be connected to the same crime. For years, he has reportedly been seen in Stockholm, Sweden, and Sorrento, Italy, but this is still unknown.

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Life of Kathy Gillcrist after learning about her father's crimes

It's in my Genes by Kathy Gillcrist (Image via Amazon.com)

Kathy Gillcrist went on to publish a book called It's in My Genes, in which she detailed the process of learning about her father's past and how this impacted her life. She also reflects on the overwhelming nature of finding out that the person who gave her life was also responsible for such a tragic loss.

Kathy has expressed her deep sense of betrayal and confusion in her book and interviews. She believes that Bishop, who would be 88 years old now, is still alive and could be living under a new identity. She recalls how he had been an avid outdoorsman and had the skills to survive in challenging environments.

Kathy wonders in her book what would go through her father's mind if they ever met, especially given the unspeakable acts he committed. She imagines asking him:

"How do you live with this? How do you justify what you did? And are you a happy person now?"

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Kathy Gillcrist's current life and continued search

Following the discovery of her father, Kathy Gillcrist, she is now leading a private life. However, she is still working to learn about her past and know more about her biological father as of 2024. Although she does not actively seek her father anymore, the mystery of where he is continues to shadow her life.

The episode of People Magazine Investigates gives viewers an insight into Kathy's journey, which is both an emotional and psychological ride. It also shows the residual effect of her father's crimes on her life as Kathy has found partial solace in writing and airing her story but still faces uncertainty about Bishop.

She argues that he was a "chameleon," who could melt in and change his identity to suit his needs, which makes it difficult to track him down.

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For more details, watch People Magazine Investigates, titled My Father Was a Mass Murderer on December 23, 2024, on Investigation Discovery.