Police searching for 17-year-old Pheobe Bishop, who went missing after failing to check-in for a flight at Bundaberg Regional Airport in Queensland, have said they have discovered a body
A mum of a missing 17-year-old girl has told how she is “ripped apart” after police said they had found a body.
Pheobe Bishop disappeared after failing to check in for her flight at Bundaberg Regional Airport in Queensland on Thursday May 15 at 8.30am which raised concerns for her welfare and sparked a major police search. The search for the teenager gripped the nation and on Thursday her housemates James and Tanika Bromley were arrested and charged with one count of murder and two counts each of interfering with a corpse.
And yesterday a body was found close to the Good Night Scrub National Park, near Gin Gin, in Queensland. State police said: ” The remains are yet to be formally identified; however, investigators are in contact with the family of missing 17-year-old Pheobe Bishop.”
And now Pheobe’s distraught mum Kylie Johnson has written on Facebook how the news was “ripping me apart”. She said: “I didn’t think my heart could break anymore then it did when you went missing, or when the charges where laid but this! This is ripping me apart…”
The update from police on the discovery of the body also stated: “The brief search commenced after further enquires and investigations today, with the discovery being made by specialist units around 2:30pm.
“The remains are yet to be formally identified; however, investigators are in contact with the family of missing 17-year-old Pheobe Bishop. A crime scene has been declared at the location and forensic examinations are continuing.”
And it also made an appeal to the public over a car. “Police continue to appeal for any information in relation to Pheobe Bishop or the movement of a grey Hyundai IX35 between May 15 to 18 in the greater Gin Gin area. Investigations continue,” it stated.
Detectives believe that Pheobe was in a car with her housemates when it arrived close to Bundaberg Airport on May 15 but that she never boarded a flight to Western Australia to reunite with her boyfriend.
Pheobe’s mum earlier today wrote on social media that a candlelit vigil would be held for her daughter on Sunday, June 8. She said: “This is for our amazing community! Honestly we have received calls, txts and so many messages of support.
“Like most Rural families we are resilient, proud and strong but this has brought us to our knees like no drought ever could. This vigil is a way of our family acknowledging Pheobe’s impact on our Community, their efforts and the importance of a community that cares!
“For those reasons this is an important part of a communities healing. While we don’t have Phee Home to put to rest just yet, our community needs the healing process to start.”