Missing teen's housemates moved body twice: police

The Advertiser

a day ago

The housemates of Pheobe Bishop allegedly murdered the missing teen before moving her body from a national park, police say.
James Wood, 34, and Tanika Bromley, 33, will face Bundaberg Magistrates Court in southern Queensland on Friday charged with 17-year-old Pheobe's murder.
Wood and Bromley were arrested on Thursday night, three weeks to the day after Pheobe missed a flight and vanished.
Wood and Bromley were also charged with two counts each of interfering with a corpse.
Pheobe was last seen near Bundaberg airport about 8.30am on May 15 after booking a trip to Western Australia to see her boyfriend.
Police allege Wood and Bromley drove Pheobe in a grey Hyundai ix35 to Airport Drive in Bundaberg but no one exited the car.
Pheobe was allegedly murdered and her body was moved more than once from the Good Night Scrub National Park, an hour's drive from Bundaberg airport.
Police had searched the park extensively during their investigation into Pheobe's disappearance, saying evidence may have been moved from the national park before officers arrived.
Items were seized during the search for forensic information.
Pheobe's remains are yet to be located but police suspect it is in the national park, Detective Inspector Craig Mansfield told reporters on Friday.
"We're back to a particular area where we are suspecting that we may locate Pheobe, but again, it is a broad, unforgiving, large area," he said.
Telephone data led police to focus on the national park with search operations restarting on Friday after efforts were scaled back on Wednesday.
"We hope that we'll have a resolution over the coming days," Det Mansfield said.
Police also believe they understand the motive for Pheobe's murder.
"We do have information that would suggest some form of motivation," Det Mansfield said.
Wood's SUV was seized by police for forensic examination on Thursday night.
He has been living in the vehicle after the Gin Gin property he shared with Bromley and Pheobe was declared a crime scene following the teen's disappearance.
"There is a vehicle that we believe Pheobe was transported in, but I will not disclose that at this point in time," Det Mansfield said.
Det Mansfield said he shared the devastation Pheobe's mother Kylie Johnson was experiencing.
"Whilst we always hoped to find Pheobe alive, our investigation as it progressed quite clearly showed us that that was not going to be a viable outcome," he said.
Ms Johnson, who regularly shared updates begging for her daughter's whereabouts, said on Thursday night that her family had been "shattered".
"Our world has just been shattered into the most horrific place I've ever been…" she wrote.
"I need my baby home to put her to rest! I'm absolutely begging anyone that knows anything to come forward.
"We need to put her to rest, we need to put her to peace."
Wood had previously been taken into custody on Wednesday but was released several hours later without charge.
Wood and Bromley had earlier been charged with unrelated weapons offences.
Police allegedly found a shortened firearm, ammunition, and two replica handguns during a search of Bromley's grey Hyundai ix35 and further ammunition in the pair's Gin Gin home.
Det Mansfield said he could not speculate until Pheobe's body was found on whether the weapons located were used in her murder.
The housemates of Pheobe Bishop allegedly murdered the missing teen before moving her body from a national park, police say.
James Wood, 34, and Tanika Bromley, 33, will face Bundaberg Magistrates Court in southern Queensland on Friday charged with 17-year-old Pheobe's murder.
Wood and Bromley were arrested on Thursday night, three weeks to the day after Pheobe missed a flight and vanished.
Wood and Bromley were also charged with two counts each of interfering with a corpse.
Pheobe was last seen near Bundaberg airport about 8.30am on May 15 after booking a trip to Western Australia to see her boyfriend.
Police allege Wood and Bromley drove Pheobe in a grey Hyundai ix35 to Airport Drive in Bundaberg but no one exited the car.
Pheobe was allegedly murdered and her body was moved more than once from the Good Night Scrub National Park, an hour's drive from Bundaberg airport.
Police had searched the park extensively during their investigation into Pheobe's disappearance, saying evidence may have been moved from the national park before officers arrived.
Items were seized during the search for forensic information.
Pheobe's remains are yet to be located but police suspect it is in the national park, Detective Inspector Craig Mansfield told reporters on Friday.
"We're back to a particular area where we are suspecting that we may locate Pheobe, but again, it is a broad, unforgiving, large area," he said.
Telephone data led police to focus on the national park with search operations restarting on Friday after efforts were scaled back on Wednesday.
"We hope that we'll have a resolution over the coming days," Det Mansfield said.
Police also believe they understand the motive for Pheobe's murder.
"We do have information that would suggest some form of motivation," Det Mansfield said.
Wood's SUV was seized by police for forensic examination on Thursday night.
He has been living in the vehicle after the Gin Gin property he shared with Bromley and Pheobe was declared a crime scene following the teen's disappearance.
"There is a vehicle that we believe Pheobe was transported in, but I will not disclose that at this point in time," Det Mansfield said.
Det Mansfield said he shared the devastation Pheobe's mother Kylie Johnson was experiencing.
"Whilst we always hoped to find Pheobe alive, our investigation as it progressed quite clearly showed us that that was not going to be a viable outcome," he said.
Ms Johnson, who regularly shared updates begging for her daughter's whereabouts, said on Thursday night that her family had been "shattered".
"Our world has just been shattered into the most horrific place I've ever been…" she wrote.
"I need my baby home to put her to rest! I'm absolutely begging anyone that knows anything to come forward.
"We need to put her to rest, we need to put her to peace."
Wood had previously been taken into custody on Wednesday but was released several hours later without charge.
Wood and Bromley had earlier been charged with unrelated weapons offences.
Police allegedly found a shortened firearm, ammunition, and two replica handguns during a search of Bromley's grey Hyundai ix35 and further ammunition in the pair's Gin Gin home.
Det Mansfield said he could not speculate until Pheobe's body was found on whether the weapons located were used in her murder.
The housemates of Pheobe Bishop allegedly murdered the missing teen before moving her body from a national park, police say.
James Wood, 34, and Tanika Bromley, 33, will face Bundaberg Magistrates Court in southern Queensland on Friday charged with 17-year-old Pheobe's murder.
Wood and Bromley were arrested on Thursday night, three weeks to the day after Pheobe missed a flight and vanished.
Wood and Bromley were also charged with two counts each of interfering with a corpse.
Pheobe was last seen near Bundaberg airport about 8.30am on May 15 after booking a trip to Western Australia to see her boyfriend.
Police allege Wood and Bromley drove Pheobe in a grey Hyundai ix35 to Airport Drive in Bundaberg but no one exited the car.
Pheobe was allegedly murdered and her body was moved more than once from the Good Night Scrub National Park, an hour's drive from Bundaberg airport.
Police had searched the park extensively during their investigation into Pheobe's disappearance, saying evidence may have been moved from the national park before officers arrived.
Items were seized during the search for forensic information.
Pheobe's remains are yet to be located but police suspect it is in the national park, Detective Inspector Craig Mansfield told reporters on Friday.
"We're back to a particular area where we are suspecting that we may locate Pheobe, but again, it is a broad, unforgiving, large area," he said.
Telephone data led police to focus on the national park with search operations restarting on Friday after efforts were scaled back on Wednesday.
"We hope that we'll have a resolution over the coming days," Det Mansfield said.
Police also believe they understand the motive for Pheobe's murder.
"We do have information that would suggest some form of motivation," Det Mansfield said.
Wood's SUV was seized by police for forensic examination on Thursday night.
He has been living in the vehicle after the Gin Gin property he shared with Bromley and Pheobe was declared a crime scene following the teen's disappearance.
"There is a vehicle that we believe Pheobe was transported in, but I will not disclose that at this point in time," Det Mansfield said.
Det Mansfield said he shared the devastation Pheobe's mother Kylie Johnson was experiencing.
"Whilst we always hoped to find Pheobe alive, our investigation as it progressed quite clearly showed us that that was not going to be a viable outcome," he said.
Ms Johnson, who regularly shared updates begging for her daughter's whereabouts, said on Thursday night that her family had been "shattered".
"Our world has just been shattered into the most horrific place I've ever been…" she wrote.
"I need my baby home to put her to rest! I'm absolutely begging anyone that knows anything to come forward.
"We need to put her to rest, we need to put her to peace."
Wood had previously been taken into custody on Wednesday but was released several hours later without charge.
Wood and Bromley had earlier been charged with unrelated weapons offences.
Police allegedly found a shortened firearm, ammunition, and two replica handguns during a search of Bromley's grey Hyundai ix35 and further ammunition in the pair's Gin Gin home.
Det Mansfield said he could not speculate until Pheobe's body was found on whether the weapons located were used in her murder.
The housemates of Pheobe Bishop allegedly murdered the missing teen before moving her body from a national park, police say.
James Wood, 34, and Tanika Bromley, 33, will face Bundaberg Magistrates Court in southern Queensland on Friday charged with 17-year-old Pheobe's murder.
Wood and Bromley were arrested on Thursday night, three weeks to the day after Pheobe missed a flight and vanished.
Wood and Bromley were also charged with two counts each of interfering with a corpse.
Pheobe was last seen near Bundaberg airport about 8.30am on May 15 after booking a trip to Western Australia to see her boyfriend.
Police allege Wood and Bromley drove Pheobe in a grey Hyundai ix35 to Airport Drive in Bundaberg but no one exited the car.
Pheobe was allegedly murdered and her body was moved more than once from the Good Night Scrub National Park, an hour's drive from Bundaberg airport.
Police had searched the park extensively during their investigation into Pheobe's disappearance, saying evidence may have been moved from the national park before officers arrived.
Items were seized during the search for forensic information.
Pheobe's remains are yet to be located but police suspect it is in the national park, Detective Inspector Craig Mansfield told reporters on Friday.
"We're back to a particular area where we are suspecting that we may locate Pheobe, but again, it is a broad, unforgiving, large area," he said.
Telephone data led police to focus on the national park with search operations restarting on Friday after efforts were scaled back on Wednesday.
"We hope that we'll have a resolution over the coming days," Det Mansfield said.
Police also believe they understand the motive for Pheobe's murder.
"We do have information that would suggest some form of motivation," Det Mansfield said.
Wood's SUV was seized by police for forensic examination on Thursday night.
He has been living in the vehicle after the Gin Gin property he shared with Bromley and Pheobe was declared a crime scene following the teen's disappearance.
"There is a vehicle that we believe Pheobe was transported in, but I will not disclose that at this point in time," Det Mansfield said.
Det Mansfield said he shared the devastation Pheobe's mother Kylie Johnson was experiencing.
"Whilst we always hoped to find Pheobe alive, our investigation as it progressed quite clearly showed us that that was not going to be a viable outcome," he said.
Ms Johnson, who regularly shared updates begging for her daughter's whereabouts, said on Thursday night that her family had been "shattered".
"Our world has just been shattered into the most horrific place I've ever been…" she wrote.
"I need my baby home to put her to rest! I'm absolutely begging anyone that knows anything to come forward.
"We need to put her to rest, we need to put her to peace."
Wood had previously been taken into custody on Wednesday but was released several hours later without charge.
Wood and Bromley had earlier been charged with unrelated weapons offences.
Police allegedly found a shortened firearm, ammunition, and two replica handguns during a search of Bromley's grey Hyundai ix35 and further ammunition in the pair's Gin Gin home.
Det Mansfield said he could not speculate until Pheobe's body was found on whether the weapons located were used in her murder.