EXCLUSIVE Chilling bushland discovery rocks Queensland police search for missing teen Pheobe Bishop

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

A mutilated mannequin has been found in remote bushland within the search area for Pheobe Bishop, briefly making police think they had found the missing teenager.
In pictures shared exclusively with Daily Mail Australia, the eerie figure could be seen partially submerged in a waterway, with limbs missing and rubbish littered nearby.
Search teams are scouring the area around Bundaberg and Gin Gin looking for a trace of Pheobe, who was en route to fly from Bundaberg Regional Airport to Western Australia to see her boyfriend on May 15 but apparently never made it to the terminal.
Neither Pheobe nor her luggage have been seen since, and police say neither her phone or bank accounts have been accessed.
A local volunteer, who did not want to be named, made the disturbing discovery while helping in the search effort.
'My wife and I decided to go out and help look for her on the 18th and 19th [of May],' he said.
The Good Samaritan couple's search took them to Short Cut Road - a sparsely populated area between Bundaberg and Gin Gin, where police say they are still searching for clues.
'When we first saw the mannequin we thought it was a dead kangaroo, but then we were like, "No... that's a person",' said the source.
'We rang the police and they were there within 10 minutes - one copper who arrived was like, "110 per cent that must be Pheobe"... but then we figured out it was a mannequin.'
The local tipster was relieved it was not the missing teenager - whose disappearance has made worldwide headlines - but also concerned by the nature of the discovery.
They said they soon realised that 'the head was taken off, there was an arm missing, and a leg was chopped off.
'It was like someone had been practicing.'
Pheobe lived at a rundown Gin Gin property with housemates James Wood and Tanika Bromley, who have since been charged with unrelated weapons offences.
It is believed the couple, who allegedly drove her to the airport, are the last people to see Pheobe.
No charges have been laid over the disappearance and Daily Mail Australia does not suggest Bromley and Wood were involved in her disappearance.
When asked to comment on the grisly mannequin find, police said, 'For operational reasons, police cannot disclose any items located throughout the investigation at this stage as it could impact the investigation.'
Investigations are ongoing and police are continuing to run out several lines of enquiry. The greater Gin Gin area remains the focus of the investigation.'
Police continue to appeal to anyone with information, vision or sightings of a grey Hyundai ix35, owned by Bromley and Wood, between May 15 to 18 in the greater Gin Gin area.
On Saturday, Pheobe's mum Kylie Johnson made an emotional video appeal shared by Queensland Police.
'This investigation will not be over for me until we find Pheobe,' Ms Johnson said during the two-minute clip.
'I still hold hope that Pheobe will come home but I have to consider the possibility that she also won't.
'If the worst-case scenario has happened, I at least need to know where she's resting. I need to know where Pheobe is.'
Meanwhile, as the search for tragic Pheobe drags into its 19th day, Gin Gin, a town of less than 1,139 people according to the 2021 Census, is reeling from being thrust into the international media spotlight.
Local resident Melanie Nelson has launched a petition on change.org begging for more funding to help support the small police station, which services the area.
'In the tight-knit community of Gin Gin, the unsettling disappearance of Phoebe Bishop has sent shockwaves through our hearts,' she said.
'Phoebe, a young and vibrant girl, seemingly vanished without a trace, leaving her family and friends in a state of agony and despair.
'Our close community now finds itself shrouded in fear and worry, and it is evident that we need greater support from law enforcement to ensure the safety and security of our residents.
'Despite our best efforts and the relentless search by volunteers and local authorities, clues are scarce, and time is of the essence.
'Our small police force is overextended, handling multiple cases with limited resources. This unfortunate situation has highlighted the urgent need for additional police officers in our area to prevent further tragedies and to better support ongoing investigations.'
The petition has been signed by almost 300 people.
Thursday May 15
It began when Pheobe failed to check in for her flight from Bundaberg via Brisbane to Perth, where she was planning to meet her boyfriend.
She was being driven there by her housemates, Tanika Bromley, 33, and James Wood, 34, in Tanika's 14-year-old silver Hyundai ix35 SUV.
She had been living with them at their ramshackle home after recently moving out of her mother's family farmhouse just outside of town.
Pheobe used her phone for the last time during the trip in a call to her boyfriend at 8.30am, who later told a friend he was unable to hear anything before the call cut out.
He later revealed how he waited for hours at Perth Airport for her to arrive, but flight after flight touched down without her.
Friday May 16
When she failed to appear in Perth, the alert was raised and on Friday, Pheobe was declared a missing person.
Mother Kylie Johnson made her first public appeal for help in the search and work began on sending out hundreds of flyers around town.
Her worried mum insisted that the teen's disappearance was out of character.
Bromley and Wood told police they dropped her off with her luggage at the airport.
Pheobe was described as carrying luggage and wearing a green tank top and grey tracksuit pants.
Saturday May 17
Housemate James Wood told a friend he had been printing flyers and admitted 'cops basically asked me if I did her in or hurt her at all...cause I was one of the last people to see her alive.'
Wood is divorced and only moved to Gin Gin from Emerald, 500km west in Queensland's Central Highlands, around six months ago after the end of his marriage.
Bromley is a mother of two and Gin Gin local with family believed to be in the Canberra area. The couple are said to have moved in together earlier this year.
Police questioned both over Pheobe and released them without any charges in connection with her disappearance.
Daily Mail Australia does not suggest that Wood or Bromley were involved in Pheobe's disappearance.
Wood also took to social media offering his 5m tinnie fishing boat as a reward for any information about Pheobe's whereabouts.
Monday May 20
Police searched Airport Drive but couldn't find any of Pheobe's belongings. They also failed to locate any CCTV of Pheobe at Bundaberg Airport.
A nearby resident supplied CCTV footage of the Hyundai allegedly on Samuels Rd, just west of the airport, around 10.30am, two hours after Pheobe was due at the airport at 8.30am.
Tuesday May 21
Reports emerge that Pheobe may have had an argument while being given a lift to the airport and was 'kicked out' of the car.
Wednesday May 22
Detectives sealed off Bromley and Wood's rented Gin Gin property, and officers in forensics gear could be seen poring over the house, just off the main road in the centre of town.
They were also seen combing areas around Samuels Rd, including a search beyond the perimeter of a local dump.
Bromley's Hyundai was also seized by police, with forensic experts examining it at a facility in Bundaberg.
Pheobe's last posts to social media before her disappearance also came to light, including an eerie March post to TikTok where she described having a conversation with her younger self.
She said she did not 'see nor talk' to her mother 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'.
The first reports of dead dogs found at the property emerge.
Thursday May 22
Daily Mail Australia identified that Wood and Bromley were the couple Pheobe had been living with at the Gin Gin house.
The couple's neighbour, Shari Loughland, said Pheobe had only been living there 'for a few weeks, up to a month or two'.
Living next door to the couple had become 'horrible' because it was cluttered with rubbish and there had been noise from parties and a howling dog, Ms Loughland said.
A stomach-churning stench surrounded the home and Ms Loughland said the remains of up to 11 dead dogs had been found at the property during police inquiries.
Daily Mail Australia also revealed Bromley was on bail and facing unrelated charges for possessing a sawn-off shotgun and a flick knife in public.
She had been charged back on February 24 after police allegedly discovered the weapons on her on the Capricorn Highway in Emerald, Queensland.
Friday May 23
Pheobe's despairing mum made an impassioned plea for the teen to get in touch.
'As each day goes by, it gets harder to breathe. I feel numb, not knowing where you are or if you're okay,' Ms Johnson said.
The police search has now expanded into new rural areas for any trace of the teenager, and called in divers to search local waterways.
Detective Acting Inspector Ryan Thompson confirmed that officers are focusing on various locations for any signs that could lead to Pheobe's whereabouts.
'We are searching for any evidence or information that could help us find Pheobe,' Detective Thompson said.
Saturday May 24
Police and SES volunteers began conducting a land, water and aerial search of the Good Night Scrub National Park, 40 minutes south of Gin Gin.
Pheobe's final posts to social media before she disappeared were revealed and suggested the teen had fallen out with her mother, and would not return home.
Ms Johnson addressed her daughter directly in a post on Facebook, which also featured a child's drawing of a rainbow and the words 'thinking of you'.
'Phee Phee we won't stop looking for you 'til your home. I urge everyone in Gin Gin to keep their porch lights on tonight and guide our girl home,' she wrote.
Bromley visited the local police station as part of her bail conditions, trying to hide her face and shunning questions from reporters
Sunday May 25
The seach for Pheobe took a dark twist as detectives brought in cadaver dogs in their search of the scrubland park.
A former friend revealed she had cut off all contact with one of Pheobe's housemates in recent months over his behaviour.
Monday May 26
Detectives said they had recovered items potentially linked to their investigation - but they also believed some evidence may have been moved from the park before they arrived.
Police also revealed Bromley had been charged with further unrelated weapons offences, after they allegedly found a shortened firearm, replica handguns and ammunition during their search of the Hyundai.
The 33-year-old had been arrested at Milbank the day before and spent a night in jail before she appeared in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Monday.
During the appearance, Magistrate John McInnes told Bromley she appeared to have an 'unhealthy interest in in short firearms'.
But he added that she was a victim of domestic violence and 'I suspect you might not be the prime mover here'.
Bromley was granted bail with strict conditions, including that she not see Wood, and that she check in at the Gin Gin police station three days a week.
Tuesday May 27
Bromley's Hyundai was released by police and was spotted in Bundaberg, sporting a makeshift fake rego plate and the Hyundai logo altered to look like a Toyota symbol.
Using tape, white paint and a permanent marker, the numbers of the car's Queensland registration 414-EW3 had been tweaked to be a fake NSW plate 474 BW8.
Wednesday May 28
Police suspended their search of Good Night Scrub National park, but said their probe was ongoing and they remained focused on the greater Gin Gin area.
Bromley also visited the local police station as part of her bail conditions, trying to hide her face and shunning questions from reporters.
That night, police confirmed that Wood had also been charged with unrelated weapons offences over the guns allegedly found in the Hyundai when they searched it.
Thursday May 29
Daily Mail Australia witnessed Wood being confronted by an irate local as he slept in the driver's seat of his car under a tree in a local park.
Wood appeared to have been living in the Hyundai since police released it to him.
'He's here, he's hiding here,' the local yelled, prodding the 34-year-old with a beach umbrella before he sped away.
His bizarre public appearance came as Pheobe had been missing for two weeks, and a bitter rift erupted among members of the teen's family.
Pheobe's mother Kylie and her sister Kaylea hit back at her aunt who went on TV to share disturbing texts from the missing teen, and blasted her claims about the youngster's upbringing.
Caz Johnson - sister of Pheobe's mum Kylie Johnson - made her allegations about the 17-year-old's tumultuous family life on Network Ten's The Project on Wednesday night.
Her aunt revealed Pheobe sent text messages out of the blue on April 26 to say her mother had told her to 'get out', but didn't want to talk about the matter as it was 'a long story'.
'I'm flying the f*** out of here to see my boyfriend,' she wrote, in texts shown on Ten.
'If it goes to plan I'm not coming back. I can't do s*** anymore. I need to get out of this hell hole.'
Caz claimed Pheobe had an unsettled childhood, regularly changing schools and having to deal with new stepdads coming in and out of her life.
But Pheobe's mother reacted immediately on social media after The Project segment aired, saying her sister knew 'nothing' about her daughter.
Saturday May 31
Daily Mail Australia revealed that Bromley was once good mates with Pheobe's mum Kylie and even worked for her NDIS support company.
Friends said the pair fell out, with Ms Johnson making Bromley redundant from her role at Smileys Support Coordination last year.
On the unrelated weapons charges, Wood is due to appear in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on June 13, while Bromley is due to appear on June 23.
Pheobe's grief-stricken mother admitted the 'worst case-scenario could have happened' in a harrowing video released by Queensland Police.
She begged the public to share any information about her disappearance with police as Kylie Johnson's voice wavered in front of the camera.
'This investigation will not be over for me until we find Pheobe,' she said.
'The search for Pheobe goes on. I still hold hope that Pheobe will come home but I have to consider the possibility that she also won't.
'If the worst-case scenario has happened, I at least need to know where she's resting. I need to know where Pheobe is.
'My daughter wouldn't just disappear. Someone knows something.
'As a mum, I'm asking you to come forward with your information.
'Please speak to police if you have any information, big or small. You can report information to police anonymously, via PoliceLink or CrimeStoppers.'
Sunday June 1
Pheobe's mum posted statement online furiously hitting back after her public plea for help to find her daughter was ripped apart by trolls.
'People wanted a statement, they got one yet still question me as a mother,' her post read.
'I'm sorry that I'm currently an emotional wreck, trying to protect our other children from the media and the trolls, trying to continue to breathe while your world shatters around you!
'If anyone would like to be in this position please step in and show me how to do this.
'Show me what a perfect parent looks like? Show me how to navigate this? Show me how to deal with the unknown and the uncertainty?