'Whole future ahead of him': Devastated parents of Joshua Bishop speak out after man charged with son's murder

Sky News AU

a day ago

The heartbroken parents of Melbourne man Joshua Bishop have spoken out after their son's remains were found a month after he was last seen, as a man is charged with the 23-year-old's murder.
Mr Bishop was last seen by his housemates on May 27 at their home in Sunbury, and was reported missing two days later.
However, the month-long search for Mr Bishop ended in tragedy on Saturday when police confirmed human remains had been found at a property on Erinbank Crescent in Westmeadows.
A man, who has been since named as 27-year-old Brandon Watts, has been charged with one count of murder over Mr Bishop's death.
The 23-year-old's parents Travis and Kristie Bishop were in tears as they addressed the media on Monday, two days after their son's remains were discovered.
Travis described his son as "such a beautiful kid" who had "his whole future ahead of him".
"Never had a cruel bone in his body. He's always the boy who wanted to help everybody and he put everyone else before himself," Travis told 9News.
"Now that he's been taken away from us, that hole cannot be filled."
Travis made an emotional plea for "justice" for their son in the wake of police charging a man with the 23-year-old's murder.
"We're in Australia, this is the lucky country and we've had our son taken from us ... it's not fair," the father said.
"I'm so angry, I just want justice. I want justice for our son, our baby boy."
The couple thanked police and the community for their ongoing support and efforts to help find their son.
"All we can do is just honour our son and the beautiful boy that he is," Travis said.
A GoFundMe Page had been created to raise donations to the search for Mr Bishop, which included the printing and distributing of flyers and posters.
In an updated statement via the fundraiser on Sunday, Mr Bishop's family confirmed the 23-year-old had been found but not in the way they had hoped.
"With the heaviest hearts, we share that our beloved Joshua Bishop has been found - but sadly, not in the way we had hoped," the family said.
"We are devastated and struggling to find the words. Your incredible support, generosity, and compassion throughout this heartbreaking time have meant more than we can express.
"The Bishop family has felt truly surrounded by love through every moment of this journey."
The GoFundMe, which had raised $25,575 out of the $35,000 goal at the time of publishing, will continue to go towards supporting the family with any costs during this time.
"Rest in peace, Josh. You are deeply loved, and you will never be forgotten," the statement read.
A Facebook page titled "Find Joshua Bishop" had also been created to support the search for the 23-year-old.
Detectives have previously said that Mr Bishop's phone and bank accounts had not been accessed since he went missing in late May.
The 23-year-old's phone last pinged at Broadmeadows Valley Park on Barry Road, an area which had previously been searched twice on June 6 and 16.
Mr Watts briefly appeared before Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday after he was charged by detectives on Sunday night.
Court documents allege Mr Bishop was murdered between May 27 and May 28.
Mr Watts, who has been remanded in custody and did not apply for bail, is expected to next appear in court on September 22.