Pheobe Bishop: What we know about mystery disappearance of teen who missed flight

There has been a disturbing twist in the search for missing teen Pheobe Bishop, 11 days after she vanished on her way to catch a flight.

After days spent combing bushland and a home and car linked to the perplexing case, police have revealed they have seized items that could provide valuable clues. Worrying, though, is the fact that they believe some of those items may have been moved after she disappeared.

Pheobe’s baffling disappearance — and the heart-wrenching pleas from her mother and other family members for her safe return — have captured attention across Australia.

While no-one is yet in custody, police believe Pheobe’s disappearance is “suspicious” and the search is continuing.

Here’s what we know so far.

Vanished

Pheobe was on her way to visit an old friend in Western Australia when she disappeared on May 15.

She was meant to fly out from Bundaberg Airport to Brisbane and then onto Perth but never checked in for her flight and has not been seen or heard from since 8.30am that day.

Police say Pheobe was supposedly driven to the airport by her two housemates in their car, a grey Hyundai ix35. But after combing CCTV footage, police say they are confident she never made it into the airport building.

In text messages shared with the Daily Mail by a friend who wanted to remain anonymous, Pheobe expressed her excitement about her impending trip to WA.

She also indicated that not all was well at the house where she lived.

When asked how she was, Pheobe responded: “I’ve been better but I focus on the good s**”.

“I take off to WA in three days! Get out of this s*** home for a bit so that will be good, just packing atm (at the moment).”

She was planning to be gone for 10 days.

Pheobe was last seen with luggage at Airport Drive in Bundaberg. There has not been any activity on her social media accounts since she disappeared.

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

The housemates

Before she vanished, Pheobe lived with housemates James Wood and Tanika Kristan Bromley at a rundown property in Gin Gin, filled with rubbish.

That home has now been declared a crime scene, with police scouring it for clues about what happened to Pheobe.

Questions have been raised about why Pheobe was living at the Gin Gin house.

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 by The Courier-Mail if he had anything to say about Ms Bishop’s disappearance, Mr Wood responded “no comment”.

The search

In addition to declaring the Gin Gin home and the Hyundai ix35 crime scenes, over the weekend police have been combing bushland within the Good Night Scrub National Park, south of Gin Gin, for clues.

Cadaver dogs, trained to detect human remains, were brought in to assist police in their search on Sunday. Divers were also searching waterways.

Police say some items, believed to be linked to the investigation, have been located during the search and have been seized for forensic examination.

However, they say some evidence may have been moved from the Good Night Scrub area, prior to police arrival.

Police have now expanded the search area and have renewed their appeal for information.

Her luggage has still not been found.

A family’s anguish

Pheobe’s mother Kylie Johnson has been posting regular pleas on social media to help find her daughter. On Monday, she wrote: “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.”

On Sunday, International Missing children’s Day, she called for people to turn on their lights to “help guide” her daughter home. A call answered by many across the Wide Bay region.

“Us as a family would never have dreamed in a million years that we would be living through this nightmare.

“Tonight I urge everyone to turn their lights on for all our missing Children.. Every single one of our babies need to be brought home.”

Anyone with information about Pheobe is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.