Pheobe Bishop disappearance: James Wood arrested and questioned by police

A wedding photo from the past of Pheobe Bishop’s housemate has emerged as he makes claims over the moment the missing Queensland teenager vanished.

The housemate of Pheobe Bishop has claimed in a media interview that the missing teen had argued with him and flatmate Tanika Bromley on the way to the airport, about needing to put on makeup and also concerns about missing her flight.

Wood was arrested in Bundaberg on Wednesday and was questioned in connection with Ms Bishop’s disappearance. He was released without charge overnight.

It comes as it has emerged that Wood was married to another woman in 2021, with wedding photos in Emerald posted by the Catholic Church.

A photo was posted as well as a message in the St Patrick’s parish newsletter.

A post said Wood married on July 10 “in a very joyful celebration led by Fr Yon at St Patrick’s Church”.

James Wood's wedding in 2021. Picture: Supplied

Wood, in the media interview, claimed they stopped the car less than 1km from the airport to give the teen some time on her own and walked away with Ms Bromley for a few minutes.

“We wanted to give her five minutes – give her her own space to do what she needed to do,” he told The Daily Mail.

“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.”

Wood claimed that when they returned to the car the teen and her bag were gone.

James Wood is in police custody.

Ms Bishop, 17, was due to fly from Bundaberg to Brisbane and then on to Western Australia to visit her boyfriend on May 15, but failed to board the flight.

Police had been told Ms Bishop was last seen at Airport Dr with luggage, however investigators said they have no confirmed sightings of the teen at the airport.

The teenager has not contacted friends or family, and her bank accounts have not been accessed since the day she was last seen.

Her disappearance was deemed suspicious and police declared crime scenes at Ms Bishop’s Gin Gin home, which she shared with housemates James Wood and Tanika Bromley.

Police also declared Ms Bromley’s Hyundai ix35 a crime scene.

Missing Queensland teen Pheobe Bishop.

Police, divers and SES crews began searching for Pheobe and her belongings around Good Night Scrub National Park on May 23.

Investigators believed evidence had been moved from the search site after they had “received information”.

James Woods' car at Queens Park in Bundaberg this week. It is understood he has been living in his car. Picture: Supplied

Police also seized multiple items from the scrub area.

The search of Good Night Scrub National Park was called off on May 27.

Both Mr Wood and Ms Bromley have been charged with weapons offences over guns and ammunition allegedly found in the Hyundai.

Mr Wood has been living in a car in the area, while Ms Bromley is staying with family on the outskirts of town.

Mr Wood’s car was secured by police on Wednesday at Bolewski St before he was taken into custody.

Pheobe – known affectionately as Flea or Phee – has been described by family as “loyal to the core” who “loves hard”.

Police searching the Good Night Scrub National Park for the missing 17-year-old. Picture: Adam Head

One of Pheobe’s family members told The Courier Mail she was a “beautiful little hippie”.

Her mother Kylie Johnson has posted daily updates since her daughter’s disappearance, begging for information on Pheobe’s disappearance.

Ms Johnson posted to social media on the morning Mr Wood was taken into custody.

”I don’t know if life will ever be the same again? I don’t know if I will ever look at the world the same way that I did before May 15th,” she wrote.

”What I do know is that people have information on where you are Phee and we need that reported to police.”