Heartache for Pheobe Bishop's family as remains in bushland confirmed to be teen's after housemates charged with murder
PHEOBE Bishop's heartbroken family have confirmed the remains discovered in bushland are hers after the 17-year-old disappeared last month.
The Australian teen's own housemates were formally charged with her murder earlier this month, with the remains discovered just a day later.
9
9
9
James Wood, 34, and Tanika Bromley, 33, were charged with Pheobe's murder on June 5.
Cops discovered the teen's remains just a day after in bushland close to a national park - an hour's drive away from Bundaberg airport.
Pheobe, from Gin Gin, north of Brisbane, had not been seen or heard from since Thursday, May 15.
The grieving Bishop family said that officers on Monday confirmed the remains belonged to Pheobe.
They said in a statement: "Our family would like to thank everyone involved from information reported to searching and everyone that has sent heartwarming messages.
"We just would also like to have time to process and grieve this new information as a family and ask for privacy at this time."
And a statement from Queensland Police on Tuesday afternoon also confirmed the tragic update, while appealing for more information on the 17-year-old's last moments.
It said: "Human remains located at an area near Good Night Scrub National Park are that of missing teenager Pheobe Bishop.
"The remains were discovered during a search of the area on June 6. Investigations into locating more items of interest in relation to this matter remain ongoing.
"Officers continue to appeal for any information in relation to Pheobe Bishop or the movement of a grey Hyundai IX35 between May 15 to 18 in the greater Gin Gin area."
9
9
Harrowing footage revealed the disgusting conditions Pheobe was living in with her two alleged killer housemates.
Police first arrested Wood as he was the last person to see the teen as he reportedly took her to the airport.
Cops believe during the drive to the airport, Wood, his girlfriend Bromley, and Pheobe all argued over stopping on the trip.
Pheobe wanted to do her makeup in the car as she was on her way to Perth to visit her "high-school sweetheart" boyfriend, Wood said.
The teen got her way in the end as Wood said he pulled over less than a kilometre away from their destination.
He said: "We wanted to give her five minutes, give her her own space to do what she needed to do."
Police first arrested Wood as he was the last person to see the teen as he reportedly took her to the airport.
Cops believe during the drive to the airport, Wood, his girlfriend Bromley, and Pheobe all argued over stopping on the trip.
9
9
9
Pheobe wanted to do her makeup in the car as she was on her way to Perth to visit her "high-school sweetheart" boyfriend, Wood said.
The teen got her way in the end as Wood said he pulled over less than a kilometre away from their destination.
He said: "We wanted to give her five minutes, give her her own space to do what she needed to do."
The pair continue to say they had nothing to do with Pheobe's disappearance or death.
Wood and Bromley will appear in court on August 11.
Pheobe Bishop timeline
May 14: Pheobe Bishop's last known bank transaction takes place.
May 15: Pheobe is reportedly dropped off near Bundaberg Airport's terminal by her housemates, James Wood and Tanika Bromley, in order to catch a flight to Brisbane and then to Perth to visit her boyfriend.
May 15, 8:30am: Pheobe makes a final phone call to her boyfriend before her scheduled flight. Her phone is then switched off and has remained inactive since.
May 15, post-8:30am: Pheobe fails to check in for her flight. CCTV footage confirms she did not enter the airport terminal.
May 16: Family and police initiate search efforts. Pheobe's social media accounts show no activity during this period.
May 21: Police declare Pheobe's disappearance as suspicious.
May 24: Nine days after disappearing, Pheobe's distressed mum pleads the public for information. She says she is "absolutely begging anyone with any information to contact the Queensland Police Service".
May 25: The search effort is widened to cover more area and homicide officers are brought in to help.
June 4: Police call off the "physical search for Pheobe, who has now been missing for three weeks.
June 5: Bromley and Wood are both arrested and charged with one count of murder and two counts of interfering with a corpse
June 6: Police find human remains near the area Pheobe was last seen.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Postman decapitated girlfriend then texted mother pretending to be her
A man has admitted murdering and decapitating his 21-year-old girlfriend before texting her mother pretending to be her. Ewan Methven, 27, murdered Phoenix Spencer-Horn, 21, at home on November 16 last year, after the couple ordered a takeaway to their flat in Glen Lee, East Kilbride. Earlier that day, Methven, who worked as a postman for Royal Mail, had complained to his girlfriend that her waitress shifts made him 'lonely'. The couple had been together for two years and met at a family party, the High Court in Glasgow was told. At around midnight on the Saturday, Methven attacked Miss Spencer-Horn with three knives, stabbing her 20 times, before mutilating her body and severing her head, the court heard. He spent the weekend driving Ms Spencer-Horn's red Corsa, scrolling through her phone and searching for internet pornography, as well as making several attempts to buy cocaine, according to prosecutors. Prosecutor Christopher McKenna said: 'The accused murdered his girlfriend, Phoenix Spencer-Horn, in the top-floor flat they shared. Late on Saturday November 16 he strangled her and stabbed her. He dialled 999, but not until November 18. 'Her mutilated and decapitated body was discovered only on November 18.' The court heard that Miss Spencer-Horn had seen her mother the day before and had been in good spirits at work the day she was murdered. Mr McKenna said: ' The police recovered texts between the accused and Phoenix. He complained of feeling lonely because of the hours she worked and he apologised.' The court heard that a food order was placed around 8pm and Methven 'did not appear to be drunk or under the influence by the delivery driver', however, in a 999 call, he claimed that the murder happened when he had a psychotic episode induced by cocaine, alcohol and steroids. On Tuesday, Methven pleaded guilty to murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice at the High Court in Glasgow.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Woman found fatally stabbed in house after gas explosion
A woman has died after being found with stab wounds inside a house where a gas explosion took place. The 46-year-old was found fatally injured inside a house in Dumont Road, Stoke Newington, north-east London, just before 5am on Tuesday, the Metropolitan Police said. A 44-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, and has been taken to hospital to be treated for slash wounds. Two children aged seven and nine were also taken to hospital as a precaution, but are not thought to have been inside the home when the explosion happened. Neighbours described the noise as the explosion tore through the house. A resident on Dumont Road said he heard a crash 'like somebody dropped a massive glass cabinet from a crane'. The man, who did not want to be named, added: 'I looked out and saw panes of glass on the floor. You could tell it wasn't a car window. 'Eventually I noticed the beam on the bay window was missing and could see some mild smoke coming out of the back. ' People starting arriving and saying to phone the police. 'There was a guy rushing around, very distraught. He went round the back.' Six fire engines and 40 firefighters were called to the scene early on Tuesday, where road closures remain in place. The house, a terrace on the corner of Dumont Road, was surrounded by police, firefighters and gas workers later in the morning. The front bay window was completely blown out, with debris including plants, wooden shutters and glass scattered across the street. A 76-year-old neighbour said: 'I was asleep upstairs and heard a sudden bang then I saw from the curtain all the glass all on the floor. 'I was worried. Everybody on the street came out in their pyjamas.' Another neighbour said: 'I'm pretty sure it was two bangs I heard. There was lots of glass shattering. 'I knew it wasn't a car crashing because it sounded like lots of glasses had been smashed on the floor.' The Metropolitan Police said there will be additional patrols in the area while the investigation continues. Matteo Prodava, a 35-year-old production designer who lives across from the house, said: 'You hear these things that happen in the world, but when it happens on the next street, it has a different impact.' Another resident in Kersley Road, near Dumont Road – who did not want to be named, said she was in shock. She said: 'That is so sad. I just want to cry. I have never heard of something like this happening here. I am just in shock. 'I feel sorry for the kids; what sort of news is this? We just thought we couldn't move the cars and there's been a gas explosion. 'Now, I don't know what to say.' Anyone with information can call police on 101 quoting CAD 926/17June or to remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Pheobe Bishop's harrowing final days from frantic texts to living in squalor
Human remains found in bushland have been confirmed to be missing teenager Pheobe Bishop, who vanished on the way to the airport a month ago. Her flatmates have been charged with her murder When Pheobe Bishop headed to the Bundaberg airport in southern Queensland, Australia, she was on her way to see her boyfriend, ready to escape the 'hellhole' she was living in. Her devoted partner was even planning to surprise her with a dream trip and waited eagerly for her arrival - but she never got on her flight. The 17-year-old vanished on 15 May, and the mystery around her disappearance has gripped the world. Now a tragic update has emerged, as remains found in bushland an hour away from the airport have been confirmed by her family as Pheobe's, mere hours after the teen's flatmates were charged with her murder. The teenager was living with a couple more than a decade her senior when she disappeared. James Wood, 34, and Tanika Bromley, 33 were charged with Pheobe's murder three weeks after she went missing, on 5 June. The next day, the local police found human remains near Good Night Scrub National Park. It is claimed that Pheobe was murdered shortly after she was last seen and that her body was moved a number of times before it was found in bushland. Wood and Bromley have both been charged with murder. The home they shared with Pheobe during the last weeks of her life has been called a 'House of Horrors' - with an Australian news organisation gaining access to the filthy and squalid property. The footage shows every surface stacked high with rubbish: yellowing bed sheets, bin bags, bits of rotting food, and empty drink bottles covered the floor. A chain can also be seen, as well as dog mess. "The air tastes dirty," the landlord of the property said, according to The Sun, adding, "I don't know how people can be breathing this." On the morning of 15 May, Pheobe's flatmates were set to give her a lift to the airport - their car was spotted on CCTV nearby Bundaberg - where the teenager was set to fly to Brisbane, and then onto to Perth, to see her boyfriend. But she never entered the terminal. Just moments before she was due to board the flight to Brisbane, Pheobe phoned her boyfriend but he couldn't hear anything before it cut off. At the time, he didn't think anything was wrong and turned up to the airport to meet up as planned, but she never turned up. Shortly after the call, Phoebe's phone was switched off. The Sun reported that a family member said: "She didn't check in for her flight to visit her boyfriend who she spoke to on the phone at 8.30am. Her phone has been switched off from this point. She hasn't contacted anyone at all, no one has seen her." All of Pheobe's social media use stopped after she went missing, and the last time she used her bank account was said to have been on May 14, the day before she vanished. Her boyfriend is said to be traumatised by the loss and is left unable to carry out his promise made to Pheobe before she was tragically killed. Heartbreakingly, her boyfriend had been planning a trip for his girlfriend, with a touching promise that he never got to carry out. Speaking on behalf of the teen, his father, Rick, shared with the Daily Mail Australia that his son "absolutely adored Pheobe" and the couple would video call "all night, every night, falling asleep". He added that they would tell each other who had been "sleep-talking" the following day, as Rick noted that it "was a bit cute". In messages she sent to a friend before she vanished, Pheobe admitted that all was not well in her life, saying she had "been better" and that she couldn't wait to get out of the home she shared with the older couple. She wrote: "I've been better, but I focus on the good s***. I take of (sic) to WA in three days! Get out of this s**t home for a bit so that will be good, just packing atm." Her distraught mother, Kylie Johnson, released a statement saying it was unusual that Phoebe wouldn't get in contact, but the teen's aunt Caz Johnson, has alleged that the 17-year-old sent messages suddenly on April 26. The messages from Pheobe said: "Up s*** creek but s*** happens." She added: "I'm flying the f*** out of here to see my it goes to plan I'm not coming back. I can't do s*** anymore. I need to get out of this hellhole."
