Devastated mother’s agony as human remains discovered near Good Night Scrub following three-week search – as police reveal teenager’s body was ‘moved MORE THAN ONCE’
HUMAN remains believed to be those of missing teenager Phoebe Bishop have been found in bushland just hours after her two housemates faced court charged with her murder – as her devastated mother declared: “This is ripping me apart.”
Police made the grim discovery at 2:30pm near Good Night Scrub National Park, close to Gin Gin in Queensland, following a brief search triggered by new evidence in the three-week investigation into the 17-year-old’s disappearance.
The heartbreaking find came as James Wood, 34, and Tanika Bromley, 33, appeared in Bundaberg Magistrates Court charged with murder and interfering with a corpse – with prosecutors alleging the teenager’s body was moved “more than once” after her death.
In emotional scenes outside court, Phoebe’s sister Kaylea, 18, sat in the front row dressed in black with visibly red eyes, staring straight ahead as the charges were read out against the couple who had lived with her younger sister.
Mother’s Anguish
Phoebe’s shattered mother Kylie Johnson posted a heartbreaking message on social media minutes after being told of the discovery: “I didn’t think my heart could break anymore than it did when you went missing, or when the charges were laid, but this, this is ripping me apart.
Just hours earlier, she had posted to mark three weeks since her daughter vanished, only to receive the devastating call from police.
“Our world has just been shattered into the most horrific place I’ve ever been,” she wrote. I need my baby home to put her to rest! I’m absolutely begging anyone that knows anything to come forward.”
The Airport Mystery
Police allege that on May 15, Wood and Bromley drove Phoebe towards Bundaberg Airport in their grey Hyundai ix35, where she was supposed to catch a flight to Brisbane and then Perth to visit her boyfriend.
But Detective Inspector Craig Mansfield delivered a chilling revelation: “We will allege that our evidence will outline that three people arrived near to the airport and three people never exited that vehicle.
CCTV footage confirmed Phoebe never entered the airport terminal. Her phone was switched off after a final 8:30am call to her boyfriend and has remained inactive since. Neither her bank accounts nor her phone have been accessed.
‘Moved More Than Once’
In disturbing new details, police revealed they will allege Phoebe’s body was moved multiple times after her death – explaining why Wood and Bromley each face two counts of interfering with a corpse alongside the murder charges.
We will allege that Phoebe was moved more than one occasion,” Detective Inspector Mansfield told reporters, confirming that one of those occasions was in the Good Night Scrub National Park.
Phone data had led investigators to focus their search on the remote bushland area, which had been extensively searched over the past three weeks.
The Last Morning
In a chilling interview with the Daily Mail just hours before his arrest, Wood had claimed Phoebe was “furious” on the morning she disappeared after sleeping through her alarm.
He said she was “so worked up about seeing her boyfriend for the first time and she wanted to look good,” claiming he gave her a pair of new grey tracksuit bottoms to wear.
Wood insisted they pulled over about 1km from the airport to give her “five minutes” of space, claiming that when he and Bromley returned from a brief walk, Phoebe and her luggage had vanished.
We walked to the end, it was maybe five minutes, maybe it was three minutes or maybe it was eight but that’s about how long we were gone,” he told the outlet, insisting he assumed she had boarded her flight.
Arsenal of Weapons
Adding another sinister layer to the case, police had earlier discovered a cache of weapons during searches linked to the investigation:
- A shortened firearm
- Ammunition
- Two replica handguns in Bromley’s Hyundai
- Additional ammunition at their Gin Gin home
While police say the weapons are not directly connected to Phoebe’s disappearance, Detective Inspector Mansfield said he could not speculate on their involvement until the teenager’s body was found.
Dead Dogs Discovery
In another disturbing detail, police confirmed “a number of deceased dogs” were found at Wood and Bromley’s rundown, garbage-strewn house in Gin Gin during early searches of the property.
The house was declared a crime scene following Phoebe’s disappearance, forcing Wood to live in his 4WD vehicle – which was also seized by police for forensic examination on Thursday evening.
Living Nightmare
The teenager had been living with Wood and Bromley at the Gin Gin property before her disappearance. She was described as approximately 180cm tall, with a pale complexion, long dyed red hair, and hazel eyes.
Her last known bank transaction was on May 14, the day before she vanished. She was last seen wearing a green tank top and grey sweatpants while carrying luggage.
Three Weeks of Agony
The timeline of horror:
- May 15, 8:30am: Phoebe makes final phone call to boyfriend before scheduled flight
- May 15, post-8:30am: Fails to check in for flight to Perth
- May 21: Police declare disappearance suspicious
- May 23: First searches of Good Night Scrub National Park begin
- June 4: Wood arrested and released without charge
- June 5: Wood and Bromley charged with murder
- June 6, 2:30pm: Human remains discovered
Court Drama
Wood appeared in court barefoot, wearing grey sweatpants and a black “Phantom Menace” t-shirt. Police bodycam footage captured the moment of his arrest, with detectives telling him: “I’m placing you under arrest for the homicide of Phoebe Bishop.
Both accused were remanded in custody and will next appear in court on August 11. They have engaged lawyers but police said they hope to interview them further.
Community in Mourning
Premier David Crisafulli said the tragedy had cut deep in the tight-knit Gin Gin community of just 1,100 people: “But at the heart of it is a young girl who has had her life taken away from her, and that’s deeply, deeply troubling.
Locals gathered outside court, with one holding a sign in support of Phoebe’s shattered family as the community rallied around them.
Modified Number Plates
In a bizarre twist, photographs obtained by The Courier Mail showed the Hyundai’s number plates had been noticeably modified – altered with black electrical tape and maroon paint to read differently, with “NSW” handwritten in black ink despite being Queensland plates.
Search Continues
While the remains are yet to be formally identified, a crime scene has been established and forensic examinations are ongoing. Police said the discovery came after “further enquiries and investigations” on Friday.
Detective Inspector Mansfield described the search area as “a broad, unforgiving, large area,” explaining why it had taken three weeks to locate the remains despite extensive searches.
The Investigation
Police revealed their investigation had been “complex and protracted” over the past three weeks, involving:
- Multiple searches of Good Night Scrub National Park
- Forensic examination of the Gin Gin property
- Analysis of phone data
- Examination of multiple vehicles
- Interviews with numerous witnesses
Whilst we always hoped to find Phoebe alive, our investigation quite clearly showed us that that was not going to be a viable outcome,” Detective Inspector Mansfield said.
Family’s Plea
Throughout the three-week ordeal, Phoebe’s mother had regularly shared heartbreaking updates on social media, documenting the toll of her daughter’s disappearance.
In a video posted on May 31, she said: “This is a pain no person or family should ever have to experience. Phoebe was a beautiful, loving, kind person, and every day not knowing where she has been is devastating for us.”
She had added: “I still hold hope that Phoebe will come home, but I have to consider the possibility that she also won’t. If the worst-case scenario has happened, I at least need to know where she is resting.
The Bottom Line
A bright young life has been tragically cut short, a mother’s worst nightmare realized, and a small Queensland community left reeling from an unthinkable crime. As Phoebe Bishop’s family prepares to lay their beloved daughter to rest, two people she trusted enough to live with now stand accused of the ultimate betrayal – taking her life and then callously moving her body multiple times to cover their tracks.
The discovery of human remains brings to an end three weeks of agonizing uncertainty for Kylie Johnson and her family, but opens a new chapter of grief that no parent should ever have to endure. As one local put it outside court today: “That poor little girl. She was just trying to visit her boyfriend. How does something like this happen?”
