Pheobe Bishop's Mom Says She's Being 'Ripped Apart' as Police Confirm Human Remains Have Been Found 3 Weeks After Teen Vanished
"I didn't think my heart could break anymore [than] it did when you went missing, or when the charges [were] laid, but this! This is ripping me apart…" Kylie Johnson wrote on Facebook
Police noted the remains haven't yet been identified, but said that Bishop's family had been notifiedThe mother of 17-year-old Pheobe Bishop, who disappeared just over three weeks ago after failing to check in for a booked flight in Australia, has shared a heartbreaking post after police confirmed human remains had been found amid the search for her daughter.
Bishop, 17, hasn't been seen or heard from since being taken to Bundaberg Regional Airport in Queensland on May 15 around 8:30 a.m. local time, Queensland Police previously said in a May 19 news release.
On Friday, June 6, police confirmed authorities had found what was believed to be human remains at around 2:30 p.m. local time "following a search of an area near Good Night Scrub National Park near Gin Gin," per a release.
"The remains are yet to be formally identified; however, investigators are in contact with the family of missing 17-year-old Pheobe Bishop," the post stated.
Sharing a link to the release on her Facebook page, Bishop's mom, Kylie Johnson, wrote that the news was "ripping" her "apart."
She posted, "I didn't think my heart could break anymore [than] it did when you went missing, or when the charges [were] laid," she added.
Friday's police release stated, "A crime scene has been declared at the location and forensic examinations are continuing."
"Police 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," the post added.
Johnson's message came hours after she thanked her "amazing community" while revealing that a candlelit vigil would be held in Bishop's memory on Sunday, June 8.
"Honestly we have received calls, [texts] and so many messages of support. Like most rural families, we are resilient, proud, and stron,g but this has brought us to our knees like no drought ever could," she wrote, while resharing a poster on Facebook.
"This vigil is a way of our family acknowledging Pheobe's impact on our community, their efforts, and the importance of a community that cares! For those reasons, this is an important part of a community's healing. While we don't have Phee home to put to rest just yet, our community needs the healing process to start," Johnson added.
The poster told attendees at the upcoming vigil, set to take place at Kolan Community Park in Gin Gin, to "please wear bright colors and butterflies and bring a candle if you wish."
Queensland Police didn't have any additional updates in the case when contacted by PEOPLE.
"Please note, we have not confirmed the identity of the remains as we will be awaiting forensic testing, which may take some time to come back," a police spokesperson said in an email.
Friday's tragic news came after police confirmed in a release on Thursday that a 34-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman had been charged in connection with Bishop's death.
Local outlets, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), SBS World News and news.com.au reported that the suspects were Bishop's housemates James Wood, 34, and Tanika Bromley, 33.
"Our world has just been shattered into the most horrific place I've ever been…" Johnson wrote on Facebook alongside a link to the police release.
Queensland Police Detective Acting Inspector Ryan Thompson previously said that Bishop had been dropped off near the airport by "associates" but didn't enter the terminal, according to the ABC, adding that she "had a flight booked to Brisbane and then on to WA [Western Australia] to visit a friend."
According to Daily Mail Australia, Wood had spoken to the outlet about the morning Bishop disappeared, just hours before he was taken into police custody.
Wood claimed that Bishop, who was reportedly planning to get on a flight to see her boyfriend, had been "furious" after sleeping "through her alarm" on the morning of her trip. He said he and his partner Bromley had driven her to the airport, but Bishop had been concerned about missing her flight.
"We just wanted to get her checked in and thought if we can just get there she will calm down," Wood told Daily Mail Australia of the drive.
He said that they ended up stopping the car on Airport Drive, just over half a mile from the terminal, to give the teenager "five minutes."
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Wood claimed that when the pair returned to the vehicle, Bishop and her bag were gone, according to the publication. Wood stated that they looked for the teen for a while, but when they couldn't find her, they assumed she'd boarded the flight.
The Gin Gin home where Bishop had been living prior to her disappearance had previously been declared a crime scene, according to police, as well as the gray Hyundai ix35 mentioned in Friday's release.
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