Pheobe Bishop: Breakthrough in search for missing Bundaberg teen as police find items linked to investigation

Police have had a breakthrough in the search for missing teen Pheobe Bishop, revealing items linked to the investigation have been located and are now being forensically examined.

Officers, including from the dog squad and the SES, have been combing the greater Good Night Scrub National Park and Gin Gin in Bundaberg in the search for the 17-year-old who vanished on May 15.

She was due to catch a flight from Bundaberg Airport to visit an old friend in WA, but never checked in, which her family say is completely out of character.

On Monday, police said some items, believed to be linked to the investigation, had been located during the search and “seized for forensic examination”.

“Police have now expanded the search area and have renewed their appeal for information after recent investigations show some evidence may have been moved from the Good Night Scrub area, prior to police arrival.”

In a separate development, one of Pheobe’s housemates has been charged over guns and ammunition seized during a search by police investigating her disappearance..

Detectives have appealed for anyone with information, vision or sightings of a grey Hyundai ix35 between May 15 to 18 in the greater Gin Gin area to contact police.

Over the weekend footage of the vehicle she was reportedly travelling in before her suspicious disappearance emerged online.

The video showed a grey Hyundai ix35 – the same car model police allege Ms Bishop travelled in on the day of her disappearance – driving along a backstreet of Gin Gin.

Pheobe is described as approximately 180cm tall, with a pale complexion, long dyed red hair, and hazel eyes.

Pheobe had been living with two housemates prior to he disappearance. Police believe the pair drove Pheobe to the airport on May 15, in the grey Hyundai, where she was meant to board her flight at 8.30am.

However, analysis of CCTV at the airport show she never made it.

The car and the home where Pheobe had been staying in Gin Gin were both declared crime scenes last week.

Pheobe’s mother Kylie Johnson, who has been posting regular pleas on social media to help find her daughter, wrote on Monday “our hearts breaking and this hell is heavy”.

“Your little man/brother asked yesterday ‘Why won”t Phee take our calls? She always takes our calls!’ Mate i wish i knew but we have to believe that the police and the lights that our amazing community are leaving on will going to bring her home to us.”

Housemate charged

Before she vanished, Pheobe had been living with housemates James Wood and Tanika Kristan Bromley at a rundown property in Gin Gin.

Ms Bromley, was arrested in Milbank and charged on Sunday with two counts of authority required to possess explosives, and one count each of possessing/acquiring restricted items and unlawful possession of weapons.

Police allegedly found a shortened firearm, ammunition, and two replica handguns during a search of the grey Hyundai ix35 and further ammunition in the Gin Gin home, both of which were declared crime scenes during the search for clues over Pheobe’s disappearance.

Mr Woods attended Bundaberg Magistrates Court to support Ms Bromley, 33, when she appeared there on Monday.

When asked if he had anything to say about Ms Bishop’s disappearance, Mr Wood responded “no comment”, the Courier Mail reports.