Latest news with #CourierMail
Sky News AU
20 hours ago
- General
- Sky News AU
Queensland teenager Pheobe Bishop's housemate in police custody as cops call off search
Pheobe Bishop's housemate, James Wood, has been taken into police custody three weeks after the 17-year-old disappeared en route to the airport. Pheobe was last spotted travelling in her other roommate's grey Hyundai ix35 to Airport Drive, Bundaberg, on the morning of May 15. The teenager was booked on a flight to Western Australia to meet up with her teenage boyfriend; however, Queensland Police are 'quite confident' the 17-year-old never made it to the airport. She was accompanied by her two roommates, Tanika Bromley and Mr Wood, who lived with the teenager on a property in Gin Gin. The Courier Mail has revealed Mr Wood, 34, is currently in police custody in Bundaberg and is being questioned in connection with the teenager's disappearance. Queensland Police confirmed the development in a statement: "A 34-year-old man has been taken into custody and is currently assisting police with enquiries as part of ongoing investigations into the disappearance of Pheobe Bishop." No charges have been laid. The news comes shortly after detectives called off "physical searches" for Pheobe. It has been three weeks since Pheobe was last seen alive, and her bank accounts and social media remain untouched. Her phone was switched off shortly after the last call to her boyfriend.
Sky News AU
6 days ago
- Sky News AU
Cairns mother, Krystel Paul, had 'packed her bags' to leave before being shot to death by husband in tragic murder-suicide
Cairns mother, Krystel Paul, who was shot dead by her husband in a murder-suicide on Tuesday, had 'packed her bags' and was moments away from fleeing before she was killed. Krystel, 41, was shot to death by her husband, James Paul, on Tuesday night, before he turned the gun on himself. The horrifying deaths made headlines earlier this week when it was revealed the couple's 10-year-old daughter was instructed by her dad to run from the home and call her grandmother to say her mother had died. The little girl fled the home to her neighbour's house moments before gunshots rang out. The neighbours dialled Triple-0 and police arrived at the Mount Sheridan home to find the couple's bodies in the bathroom and main room of the house. Award-winning journalist and prominent advocate against violence toward women and children, Sherele Moody, received a message from a friend of Krystel, who revealed the beloved mother had packed her and her daughters' belongings into the boot of the car and was just moments away from fleeing when she was violently killed. Ms Moody, founder of the Australian Femicide Watch - which tracks every known case of Australian women and children killed due to murder, manslaughter, or neglect - pointed to the tragic new details as a stark reminder of why women in domestic violence situations so often struggle to report abuse or leave. 'Krystel Paul had packed her bags, put them in the boot of her car and was walking out the door,' she posted on X. 'He shot her to death. 'This is why women don't report. This is why women don't leave. 'Most women don't leave because they know he'll try to kill them'. Ms Moody's foundation lists Krystel as the 31st Australian woman killed this year and the 134th lost to violence since January 1, 2024. The mother owned a bridal boutique in the Cairns CBD and has been remembered as a quiet and gentle person who will be deeply missed. On Wednesday afternoon, Cairns Police Detective Acting Inspector Alina Bell confirmed her 10-year-old daughter left her family's home just moments before her parents died. She also revealed the young girl had been 'alerted to the incident occurring' before she reached out for help from a neighbour. Mount Sheridan resident Danna Lancini told the Courier Mail: 'I had to comfort her last night because she told me that her mum was dead". '(The girl) said 'my dad sent me here because she's dead'," Ms Lancini said. '(My husband) heard the two, 'bang, bang', and then the daughter was on our front door. 'The two shots must have been when she was running.' Police have asked anyone with information or relevant footage in the area to come forward as investigations remain ongoing. You can support Ms Moody's foundation for women and children lost to violence at:
Sky News AU
6 days ago
- Health
- Sky News AU
Fears over new highly contagious Covid-19 strain surging as states records increase in infections
Health experts have urged people to keep up to date with their Covid-19 vaccinations amid fears of a dangerous new strain as reported cases surge. Omicron strain subvariant NB. 1.8.1 is already rising in Queensland, which has seen a sudden spike in the number of people infected with Covid-19. A report by Queensland Health said 671 people in the state were diagnosed with the disease in the week ending May 25, which was an 18 per cent increase from the week prior. There had been 15,693 notified cases of Covid-19 in the state since the beginning of this year according to the report, meaning an average of over 100 new cases per day. There were 54 people in hospital with the disease in Queensland as of Sunday, and the health authority reported 3,388 hospitalised cases between January 1 and May 25. University of South Australia biostatistics and epidemiology professor Adrian Esterman said the new strain was behind the rise in cases being observed. 'In the last four weeks, cases have gone up each week, and that is most certainly due to this new strain,' Mr Esterman told the Courier Mail. 'We have to be concerned about older people and those with impaired immune systems or other health conditions, they need to be keeping up to date with booster shots.' AMA Queensland president Dr Nick Yim told the masthead evidence indicates the NB. 1.8.1 variant could potentially spread easier than previous strains. 'The emergence of NB. 1.8.1 is a timely reminder that Covid-19 is still circulating in our community and continues to evolve,' Dr Yim said. With winter on the way and Covid-19 cases increasing, he urged people to 'protect yourself and those around you'. 'We are worried that some complacency has set in and urge all eligible Queenslanders to get their free booster as soon as possible,' Dr Yim said. In New South Wales, Covid-19 increased to a 'moderate level of activity' last week and NSW Health outlined that vaccinations are 'especially important' at the moment. NSW emergency department visits and admissions for people with Covid-19 have been increasing over the last three weeks, with a report published on Thursday said. In the week ending May 24, the state has seen an increase of 29.2 per cent in notified Covid-19 cases and the rate of positive test results spike to 6.7 per cent. In Victoria, the Department of Health's latest respiratory surveillance report said though Covid-19 activity had remained low, the state had seen a 43.8 per cent Covid-19 notifications in the second week of May.
7NEWS
25-05-2025
- 7NEWS
Cadaver dogs brought in to help search for missing Bundaberg teenager Pheobe Bishop
In a grim update to the search for missing teemager Pheobe Bishop, a cadaver dog has reportedly been brought in to help find the 17-year-old. The search for the Bundaberg local has entered a tenth day, with police searching bushland in the Good Night Scrub National Park. Officers with cadaver dogs were seen at the search site on Sunday morning, according to the Courier Mail. These specially trained dogs are used by police to locate the scent of human decomposition, helping to find buried or concealed remains. Police expanded the search on Friday, covering a broader area including the national park near Gin Gin, where forensic teams have been spotted collecting and bagging items. The 17-year-old was last seen on Airport Drive on her way to catch a flight to Western Australia on May 15, but she never made it to Bundaberg Airport. Firefighters, SES crews and specialist police, including police divers, have been searching remote areas near Good Night, deploying drones to scan dense scrub and creek beds. 'Obviously, as time goes by, police have greater concerns as to her disappearance,' Detective Acting Inspector Ryan Thompson said. 'There's no specific persons of interest. However, police are following up all avenues of inquiry.' A grey Hyundai ix35, on which Bishop was last seen travelling, has since been seized by police. Bishop had been living with two housemates, Tanika Bromley and James Wood, at a derelict property in Gin Gin, about 40 minutes west of Bundaberg. That property has now been declared a crime scene. Bromley and Wood, who are believed to be in a relationship, have been co-operating with police. Authorities have emphasised that there is no suggestion either is involved in Bishop's disappearance. Bishop's family has issued a desperate plea for information that could lead to her return, saying it's unlike the teen to go without contacting anyone for days. 'We need her home,' the statement reads.
West Australian
23-05-2025
- West Australian
Gross detail at home where 17yo Pheobe Bishop was living before ‘suspicious' disappearance
A 'pervading stench of decay' lingers around the property where missing teenager Pheobe Bishop lived before her suspicious disappearance. Media attending the Gin-Gin property on Thursday have reported a disgusting smell emanating from the dilapidated home, which remains an active crime scene as police continue to investigate the disappearance of the 17-year-old. The Courier Mail earlier this week reported bags of rubbish were piled up outside the property and multiple dogs – reportedly dead – were seen being removed by detectives. The Daily Mail reported a neighbour believed as many as 13 animals had been found. Detectives were at the crime scene scouring the residence for more clues on Friday, as the search for the teen entered its eighth day. Rubbish and various items could be observed scattered around the home, and a bus with the words 'let it ride' was parked on the nature strip. Ms Bishop was last seen en route from the Gin Gin residence – where she was staying with local couple Tanika Bromley and James Wood – to Bundaberg airport on the morning of May 15. She did not check-in for a booked flight and has not been seen or heard from since. Along with the Gin Gin property, a grey Hyundai ix35 believed to be the car she travelled to Airport Dr in was also declared a crime scene on Wednesday. Police are also appealing to the public for dashcam and CCTV footage of the grey Hyundai ix35 with Queensland registration 414EW3 near the Airport Drive and Samuels Road area in Bundaberg and also the Gin Gin area on May 15. Detective Acting Inspector Ryan Thompson said public information would be vital to forwarding the investigation. 'You may have the small piece of information that leads us to finding Pheobe,' he said. 'People don't vanish – someone knows something and we're urging anyone with information to contact police immediately.' 'We're still working together to piece together her movements on that day,' he said. A Queensland police spokesman said on Friday no one is in custody in relation to the investigation.
