Police reveal new search detail as Pheobe Bishop’s family waits for forensic testing on human remains

The family of murdered teenager Pheobe Bishop faces an anxious wait for confirmation human remains found by police belong to her, as more details are released on how they were found.

The family of murdered teenager Pheobe Bishop is facing an anxious wait for forensic testing to confirm human remains found in a national park belonged to her, as police revealed more details on how they were located.

The remains were found by specialist units on Friday near the Good Night Scrub National Park – an area that had previously been searched in the wake of Pheobe’s disappearance.

Wide Bay-Burnett Detective Inspector Craig Mansfield confirmed on Saturday the remains found in the national park were human.

Pheobe Bishop was last seen alive on May 15.

“Yesterday afternoon detectives returned to Good Night Scrub National Park with a bit of an extended search from our original location,” he said.

“An area was identified and a crime scene has been declared.

“As a result of that crime scene, police have located at that time what was believed to be human remains.

“Those remains have now been tested and examined further by our forensic capability. They have been identified as being human remains.”

Inspector Mansfield said further forensic testing was currently being conducted.

“We have been in contact with Pheobe’s family and advised them of this development. Understandably this has caused great distress to them,” he said.

Police have established a crime scene within Good Night Scrub National Park with confirmation that remains found are human. Picture: Queensland Police

“During the day that additional testing and examination will occur with a view of not only formally identifying those remains but also supporting our brief of evidence and our investigation to date.

“We always wanted to bring Pheobe home and we believe that this is the first step in that process.”

He said he hoped the development brought “some level of closure to Pheobe’s family so that they can begin to move forward with their grieving process”.

Pheobe’s housemates James Wood, 34, and Tanika Bromley, 33, have been charged with murdering the teen, who had been living with them.

Additional testing of the scene where human remains were found was carried out on Saturday. Picture: Queensland Police

They have also been charged with two counts each of interfering with a corpse.

Inspector Mansfield said the second search location within the “vast” national park had been identified by “snippets of information” and “telecommunications data”.

He said the remains were not buried.

Asked whether police were confident about the second search location, Inspector Mansfield said: “No, we were not. It was a broad search. We were effectively looking for tracks not too dissimilar to the first one in appearance … and we happened upon a track that did look similar to the original track, but in a different location.”

He said Pheobe’s luggage and phone had not yet been located.

Detective Inspector Craig Mansfield. Picture: Liam Kidston.

A GoFundMe was created on behalf of Pheobe’s family on Saturday, with Pheobe’s mum Kylie sharing it on Facebook.

“This is how we can give back in honor (sic) of Phee,” she wrote.

The fundraising page states it was created to honour Pheobe’s memory “in a way that reflects the compassion and light she brought into the lives of so many”.

“This GoFundMe has been created as a way for our community to donate and support the services like the SES who volunteer their time without reimbursement and have played an integral part of finding missing loved ones in our community,” it reads.

“We would also like to be able to donate to the Y School in Bundaberg on Pheobe’s behalf, where Pheobe thrived from their support and guidance.”

The page described Pheobe as a “gentle soul and a generous spirit” who always cared for others.

“We want her legacy to live on and by paying it forward to the amazing volunteers and community,” the fundraiser states. “All funds raised will be donated to these carefully chosen community groups that work to support our Wide Bay community.

“This is more than a fundraiser – this is a tribute to a beautiful life, and a call to action to protect the most vulnerable in our communities.”