On the morning of 15 May 2025, 17-year-old Pheobe Bishop was seen at approximately 8:30am at Airport Drive, Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia. She was last seen carrying luggage, wearing a green tank top and grey sweatpants, and was reportedly due to fly from Bundaberg to Brisbane before travelling on to Western Australia to see her boyfriend. Bishop did not check in for her flight and was not seen again. Queensland Police issued a missing persons alert the following day, 16 May 2025.
At the time of her disappearance, Bishop was living with two housemates, James Wood and Tanika Bromley, at a property in Gin Gin, a rural town approximately 51 kilometres west of Bundaberg. Bromley had previously worked for Bishop's mother before being made redundant in 2024. Bishop was described as approximately 180 cm tall, with a pale complexion, long dyed red hair, and hazel eyes. Her mother described her as "strong-willed" and someone who had "followed her own beat to life."
Queensland Police Service investigated Bishop's disappearance after she failed to arrive in Brisbane or Western Australia. Investigators sought dashcam footage from the Airport Drive and Samuels Road area of Bundaberg and from Gin Gin. Police declared the grey Hyundai ix35 Bishop was last seen in, and the Gin Gin property, as crime scenes. Detective Acting Inspector Ryan Thompson said Bishop was dropped at Airport Drive by "associates" but did not enter the terminal; Detective Inspector Craig Mansfield later said Bishop was in the car that drove past the airport, but no one exited the vehicle.
On 23 May 2025, police expanded the investigation after discovering phone data, deploying the Dive Squad and other specialist units to conduct land and waterway searches at Goodnight Scrub National Park. Items believed linked to the investigation were seized for forensic examination, and police suspected some evidence may have been moved from the site before their arrival. On 26 May 2025, Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said the disappearance was deeply concerning, and cadaver dogs were later deployed to the search area.
On 4 June 2025, police suspended the search and arrested James Wood in connection with Bishop's disappearance. On 5 June 2025, both Wood and Tanika Bromley were arrested and each charged with one count of murder and two counts of interfering with a corpse; both had previously faced unrelated weapons charges after firearms and ammunition were found in their car and home. On 1 July 2025, a third person, Kieran Daniel Mittelheuser, was arrested in connection with the alleged murder, accused of using Bishop's phone to interfere with the investigation.
On 6 June 2025, human remains were found near a back road in dense bushland close to Goodnight Scrub National Park; on 17 June 2025, police confirmed the remains belonged to Pheobe Bishop. The remains did not appear to have been buried. Bishop's luggage and phone have not been located. Police allege Bishop was killed soon after being seen on CCTV on Airport Drive, and that her body was moved twice — first on 15 May and again two days later. Wood and Bromley were remanded into custody following a court appearance on 6 June 2025, with their next appearance set for 11 August 2025.
Credit: Family of Celeste Rivas HernandezEditorial useSourceONGOINGListen
