The Strange Case of Amy Bishop

The Bishops seemed like an ordinary two-parent family with two bright children. They owned a big Victorian in Braintree, MA, a suburb south of Boston. In 1986, Samuel was a film professor at Northeastern University. His wife Judith was active in local politics. Seth, 18, was a Northeastern University freshman. Amy, 21, was also at NU, majoring in biology.

On December 6, 1986, Amy had an argument with her father, who owned a 12-gauge shotgun which he kept in his room. After he left the house, Amy went upstairs to his room. Her mother and brother weren't home, but when they returned a short time later, Amy took the shotgun downstairs. Her mother and Seth were in the kitchen.

"I have a shell in the gun and I don't know how to unload it,” Amy said.

  She turned to Seth and the gun went off, inflicting a large chest wound.

 Seth (left) died at the hospital. Amy (right) was never charged. But Seth was not the last person she would kill.

In 2010, Amy, then a professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, pulled out a gun at a faculty meeting and went on a shooting rampage. Three people died and three others were critically wounded.

Read more here: Amy Bishop Case