Desperate hunt for Phoebe Bishop missing for 9 DAYS after never boarding flight to meet boyfriend in case gripping Oz

Scottish Sun

24-05-2025

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A TEENAGER has been missing for nine days in Australia - after she mysteriously failed to board a flight to meet her boyfriend.
Phoebe Bishop, 17, was last seen in the morning of May 15 being driven to the Bundaberg Airport by her housemates James Wood and Tanika Bromley.
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Australian teen Phoebe Bishop has gone missing
Credit: Facebook
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The 17-year-old pictured with her mum
Credit: Facebook
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She has been missing for nine days, despite search efforts
Credit: 9 News
Her distressed mum has made a series of heartbreaking pleas begging anyone with information to come forward.
She also claimed that her sudden disappearance was out of character.
Missing Phoebe was supposed to catch a flight on May 15 to Brisbane, and then to Perth, to see her "high-school sweetheart" boyfriend.
She made a last minute call to him mere moments before she was set to get on the flight to Western Australia.
The teenager had saved up for months to pay for a ticket to visit him.
Despite suggestions that she made it through the airport - a family member has since revealed that she never checked in to her flight.
The 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."
Police say that according to their records, Pheobe was driven to Airport Drive at Bundaberg and dropped close to her terminal.
Bizarrely, the 6ft tall red-haired teen was never caught on CCTV.
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A comprehensive land search was conducted around Airport Drive and the surrounding areas on Monday.
But cops have not located any of her personal belongings as of yet.
Her social media accounts have also not been active sicne she went missing.
And her last bank account activity was recorded on May 14, the day before she disappeared.
Cops have therefore turned their attention to the car she travelled in to the airport.
The 2011 silver Hyundai ix35 hatchback has now been declared a crime scene.
It is owned by Tanika Bromley, who Phoebe was staying with before travelling to the airport.
Tanika Bromley and her partner James Wood were housing the teen at their property in Gin Gin, just west of Bundaberg.
Their property has also now been declared a crime scene as of Wednsday.
And this came just before cops made an unsettling series of shocking discoveries inside the couples' home.
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Police searched the house she was staying at
Credit: 9 News
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Cops made bizarre discoveries, including a strange bus outside their residence
Credit: 9 News
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She was supposed to see her boyfriend in Western Australia
Credit: Facebook
When officers visited the now crime scene - they found noticed a strong stench coming from the property.
After this strange finding, it was soon revealed they police had uncovered four dead dogs from inside the house.
One neighbour disputed these claims and said there were up to 13 animals inside the ominous property.
Police also found heaps of rubbish stacked inside the pad.
Local Shari Loughland told Daily Mail Australia that Pheobe had been living at the pad "for a few weeks, up to a month or two".
She also said that her experience living next to the couple was "horrible" due to to constantly loud party noise.
The neighbour made a complaint last week to RSPCA about the couples' "howling dog".
She added: "They moved in late October or November, and then it's just gotten more and more cluttered with rubbish.
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She was staying with James Wood at a derelict property in Gin Gin
Credit: Facebook
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Partner Tanika Bromley also owned the vehicle used to drive Phoebe to the airport
Credit: Facebook
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The teen's mum, Kylie Johnson, pictured with her daughter
Credit: Facebook
"It was for sale... We did hear last night that someone owns it and they rent from them, so I don't think they actually own it."
A derelict single-decker bus, with the words 'Let it ride' written on it stands guard outside the house.
The bizarre vehicle is owned by Wood, who was reportedly trying to sell it on Facebook marketplace recently.
He is divorced and moved to Gin Gin from Emerald, 500 kilometres west in Queensland's Central Highlands, about six months ago following the end of his marriage.
Bromley is understood to be a Gin Gin local and a mother-of-two.
The pair are believed to have moved in together earlier this year.
In another shocking twist, it was revealed on Thursday that Bromley is currently facing unrelated charges for possessing a sawn-off shotgun, as well as a flick knife in public.
The pair have been questioned by police but have both since been released.
No charges have been made against the couple over Phoebe's disappearance and there is no suggestion that they were involved.
Phoebe Bishop timeline
by Harvey Geh
May 14: Pheobe Bishop's last known bank transaction occurs.
May 15: Pheobe is reportedly dropped off near Bundaberg Airport's terminal by her housemates, James Wood and Tanika Bromley, intending 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 24: Nine days after disappearing, Phoebe's distressed mum pleads the public for information. She says she is "absolutely begging anyone with any information to contact the Queensland Police Service".
Queensland police said on Thursday: "Currently, no one is in custody in relation to this investigation.
"However police continue to speak to people who know Pheobe."
The teenager's final posts on social media, including a chilling March post to TikTok where she described having a conversation with her younger self, reveal that she had a strained relationship with her family.
Before she disappeared, Pheobe said how she did not "see nor talk" to her mother, Kylie Johnson, any more "but it's better like this".
Pheobe also wrote that she had been "in and out" of home for years, but "this time we're not going back".
Other posts suggested the teen had been struggling in recent months, with one saying she was "losing sleep and losing peace of mind".
"I'm not built for this town, these aren't my people," said another March post.
The missing teen's devastated mum Kylie Johnson pleaded: "Phee is still missing our heartache and pain is raw and real."
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Johnson made a heartbreaking post on social media
Credit: Facebook
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Search rescue efforts are ongoing
Credit: 9 News
Johnson has since put up more than 400 missing person posters across Bundaberg and surrounding areas.
She also said her daughter's sudden disappearance was extremely out of character.
The worried sick mum added: "If you knew Pheobe you would know that she is free spirited and loves hard!
"She is loyal to the core and cut throat.
The fearing mum said during the extensive search: "Honestly have no words to describe our heartbreak, heartache or fear that we won't see or hear from her again."
'Another day and minimal answers … Phee still isn't home and someone somewhere has to know something.
She pleaded: 'I'm absolutely begging anyone with any information to contact the Queensland Police Service.
'It could be the smallest of details you might even think it's irrelevant information but it could be the key to bringing Pheobe home.
'Thank you to our Family, friends and community! Your thoughts love, respect and kindness are appreciated more then (sic) you could know or imagine."