Explosive update on evidence found in Pheobe Bishop search
Police have made an explosive admission around some of the evidence found in the search for missing Queensland teen Pheobe Bishop.
Police & Courts
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Police have recovered items of interest in the search for missing teenager Pheobe Bishop, revealing some evidence may have been moved.
Miss Bishop, 17, was due to fly from Bundaberg to Brisbane and then on to Western Australia to visit a friend on May 15, but failed to board the flight.
In an update on Monday, police said ongoing searches for the teenager would centre on the greater Good Night Scrub National Park and Gin Gin areas.
Some items believed to be linked to the investigation have been found in the search and seized for forensic examination.
Police have also expanded the search area after recent investigations suggest some evidence may have been moved from the Good Night Scrub area before police arrived.
Detectives are now appealing to anyone with information, vision or sightings of a grey Hyundai ix35 between May 15 to 18 in the greater Gin Gin area to contact police.
Specialist police, the dog squad, aerial assets and the SES are assisting the search.
Police have been searching bushland within the Good Night Scrub National Park south of Gin Gin for the last two days, with a police cadaver dog joining the search at the scene on Sunday.
Cadaver dogs are specially trained to locate human remains.
Specialist police with cadaver dogs were once again searching the Good Night Scrub National Park on Monday, with the search for Miss Bishop now in its eleventh day.
About noon on Monday a forensic investigator entered the site cornered off with police tape with a SES volunteer. The SES volunteer led the investigator into the site holding forensic markers.
It comes after the mother of missing Queensland teenager Pheobe Bishop says the family is living a ‘heavy’ hell as they enter day 11 not knowing what has happened to their daughter.
Kylie Johnson describes the numbness, the tears, and hearts breaking.
“Not knowing what to say, what to do or even how to continue to live in this cyclone of uncertainty,’’ she says.
“The tears come, the anger and frustrations come and most of all our hearts are shattering more and more each day.
“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 ... bring her home to us.”
“Pheobe is so empathetic and I know that even if we get one child home with lighting up then she would be so happy,’’ her mum posted earlier.
“Phee our light will remain on until you find your way home.
The family thanked police and everyone in the search to find their daughter.
“To the Queensland Police Service we are honestly so blessed to have you guys in our corner.
“To our community, loved ones and family- we appreciate everything you are doing and are willing to do!
“From grid searches, horse back searches, dogs to track, the offer of food deliveries, shopping and food everything we could imagine. We are eternally grateful and thankful for your thoughts, love and prayers.”
Ms Johnson posted on Facebook Sunday afternoon, on what was International Missing Children’s Day.
“I’ve been trying to find words today for my post. Us as a family would never have dreamed in a million years that we would be living through this nightmare,” the post read.
“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.”
Ms Johnson said Pheobe’s father was also “fully invested” in bringing her home.
“To the people that are asking about Pheobe’s dad. Her dad loves all his children and has been fully invested in bringing Pheobe home,” she continued.
“Us as a family decided it’s better to keep him out of the media as he has a 13-year-old daughter that doesn’t need to be dragged into the media spotlight.”
It comes after Ms Johnson posted on Saturday night, promising her daughter she would not give up on finding her.
In the post, Ms Johnson reflected on Pheobe’s ‘Pop’, who would often call her ‘Flea’.
“Me and Poppy were the only two people ever allowed to call you that. When Pop passed away, your world shattered into a million pieces and so did that of your siblings,” the post read.
“We have the light on to guide you home, Flea! It’s on the house and across the country and continent. You have travelled to so many countries in the last week baby girl.”
Ms Johnson said she prayed the “lights of Gin Gin and the world” would guide Pheobe home.
“Our lives and existence is nothing without you in our lives. We just need to know where you are and if you’re safe,” she said.
“I promise you, Pheobe! We as a family won’t give up on finding you and bringing you home.”
In a statement on Saturday titled “Who is Pheobe?” her family describe the young Bundaberg woman as a “sunflower in a field full of wildflowers”, while issuing another plea to the public to report any information to police.
“You can’t tame Phee’s spirit, empathy or fight for life. She is sassy, feisty and loves harder than anyone I’ve ever meet,” the statement read.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said the government would throw every available police resource at finding the missing teen.
“It’s deeply concerning,” Mr Crisafulli said on Monday.
“Police are investigating, and I think that’s fit and proper that we allow them to do that.
“I’m mindful about how much incidents like that rock at the core of small communities, there’s a ... an overwhelming sense of grief when a smaller regional city goes through something like that.
“We want the community to know we’re thinking about them and will give every resource that police need to do their job.”
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