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Mother credits media with son's safe return

Marilyn Bishop believes son has learned his lesson

By CHRIS CLINE\Daily Journal Staff Writer

Jan 31, 2006 - 11:01:20 CST

Marilyn Bishop knows that while her son was found on Saturday and was returned home safely, the situation very well could have had a different outcome. She credits the efforts of the local media along with law enforcement and area residents for her son's safe return.

“It was definitely a combination of the Daily Journal and the radio that helped bring my son home,” Bishop said. “The people that picked him up had just heard a radio report about my son and when they took him to a relative's home to get some food, there was a copy of the Daily Journal with his picture on it.”

Richard Bishop disappeared from his Madison County residence Friday morning when he was taking out the trash. The 22-year-old is mentally disabled and is autistic, according to family members. A search by law enforcement and by family members didn't yield any clues as to Bishop's whereabouts.

Thirty-six hours after he first went missing, Bishop was picked up on Route OO by a passing motorist.

Pat and Kathy Kurtz said they never pick up hitchhikers. But when her husband asked if he should pick up someone who was walking in the rain on Route 00, something compelled Kathy Kurtz to say yes.

“As soon as we rolled down the window, we recognized him from the description,” she explained. “The poor kid. He was freezing cold.”

Bishop's mother said every minute that went by with her son missing, she grew more and more anxious.

“I was getting more and more frantic,” Bishop said. “We are just extremely happy to have him home. I can't thank everyone enough for helping. The cooperation was tremendous.”

While this was not the first time Bishop had ran away from home, his mother thinks this time he may have learned his lesson.

“He never made it to Farmington,” Marilyn Bishop said. “He slept in the woods and was cold and wet. Hopefully he learned that it's not as easy as what he may have thought on the outside.”

Bishop was the second missing person from the St. Francois County/ Madison County area who was mentally handicapped over the past couple of months.

Larry Duvall, 57, Knob Lick, disappeared from his residence on Plummer Road on Nov. 27. According to family members, Duvall was mentally handicapped who had the mental capacity of a 5-year-old.

On Jan. 16 Duvall's body was found floating in a nearby lake at the S-F Scout Ranch. Authorities and family members are still awaiting the autopsy report to determine the official cause of death.

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