Fresh witness accounts and leaked messages are uncovering chilling new details in the teenager’s disappearance.
Queensland Police Intensify Search for Missing Teen Pheobe Bishop, Now Considered a Suspicious Disappearance
Police in Queensland are escalating efforts to locate 17-year-old Pheobe Bishop, who has been missing since May 15, 2025. She was last seen around 8:30 a.m. on Airport Drive in Bundaberg, where she was due to board a flight. However, Pheobe never checked in and has not been seen or heard from since.
Her disappearance was officially reported the same day. According to Queensland Police, Pheobe was last seen carrying luggage and wearing a green tank top and grey sweatpants. She is described as approximately 180 cm tall, with a pale complexion, long dyed red hair, and hazel eyes.
Authorities say the teen’s sudden disappearance is out of character, prompting both ground and aerial searches in the area. Initially, no trace of her or her belongings was found.
Case Declared Suspicious
On May 21, police formally identified the missing teen as Pheobe Bishop and announced that her disappearance is now being treated as suspicious. Two crime scenes have since been established: the property in Gin Gin where Pheobe had recently been living, and a grey Hyundai ix35 believed to have transported her to the airport. The vehicle, with Queensland registration 414EW3, has been seized for forensic examination.
Investigators are urging anyone with dash-cam or CCTV footage showing the grey Hyundai ix35 in the vicinity of Airport Drive, Samuels Road in Bundaberg, or in the Gin Gin area on May 15 to come forward. Authorities believe the footage could be critical in tracing Pheobe’s movements.
Expanded Search Efforts
As of May 26, specialist police units, including the Dog Squad, SES teams, and aerial support, have expanded the search to include the greater Good Night Scrub National Park and surrounding Gin Gin region. Items potentially linked to Pheobe’s disappearance have been recovered and are undergoing forensic testing.
Investigators revealed that some evidence may have been moved before law enforcement arrived at the Good Night Scrub location. Police are particularly interested in sightings or footage of the grey Hyundai ix35 between May 15 and May 18 in the Gin Gin region.
Family’s Anguish and Online Clues
Pheobe’s family has been vocal about the emotional toll of her disappearance. In a heartfelt Facebook post on May 26, her mother, Kylie Johnson, described the pain of not knowing what had happened to her daughter:
“As we enter day 11 of Pheobe still not being home, our numbness to our tears, to our hearts breaking, and this hell is heavy.”
She also shared a heartbreaking moment when Pheobe’s younger brother asked, “Why won’t Phee take our calls? She always takes our calls!” Kylie admitted she had no answer but remains hopeful.
Authorities are examining Pheobe’s digital footprint, including a concerning TikTok post from March 31. In the video, Pheobe appears reflective and emotional, referencing strained family dynamics:
“She will never be proud. We don’t see nor talk to her but it’s better like this.”
She also wrote, “We’ve been in and out for years — this time we’re not going back though,” suggesting long-term instability and a final decision to leave home.
Community Insights Into Pheobe’s Final Weeks
Multiple sources, including local supermarket staff, neighbors, and flatmates, have painted a more complex picture of Pheobe’s life before she vanished. A worker at the IGA in Gin Gin, where Pheobe often shopped, described her as “worse for wear,” frequently short on money, and appearing hungry.
“Why aren’t questions being asked about what happened to that poor child 10 weeks before this? Where were her parents?”
The staff member expressed frustration with the broader lack of response, saying, “This town should be standing still but it’s not.”
Pheobe had only recently moved into a property in Gin Gin. Neighbor Shari Loughland confirmed she’d been there for a few weeks to a couple of months.
A friend shared what may have been her final conversation with Pheobe, sent on May 12. Pheobe wrote:
“I’ve been better but I focus on the good s***.”
“I take off to WA in three days! Get out of this s* home for a bit so that will be good, just packing atm.”
She indicated she would be away for about 10 days, reflecting a mix of emotional exhaustion and hopeful anticipation.
Flatmate Arrested on Firearms Charges
On May 25, Pheobe’s 33-year-old flatmate, Tanika Kristan Bromley, was arrested on unrelated firearms charges. Police discovered a shortened firearm, ammunition, and two replica handguns in the same grey Hyundai ix35 linked to Pheobe’s disappearance. Additional ammunition was found at the Gin Gin home she shared with Pheobe and another resident, James Wood.
Bromley was denied bail and appeared in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on May 26. She faces several charges, including unlawful possession of firearms and restricted items.
While police emphasize there is no suggestion that Bromley or Wood were involved in Pheobe’s disappearance, both have been questioned as part of routine investigative procedures.
Housemate Speaks Out
James Wood, who also lived with Pheobe, has since shared messages expressing concern and confusion. In a text dated May 17, two days after Pheobe vanished, he wrote:
“No nothing atm, but we are just printing up more flyers to go around and stick up everywhere and keep searching and hope she makes contact with someone ayy.”
In a later message, he disclosed a tense moment during his police interview:
“I don’t know ayy but how’s this — cause I was one of the last people to see her alive, cops basically asked me if I did her in or hurt her at all ayy.”
Wood was questioned and released without charge.
Ongoing Investigation
As the investigation continues, police remain focused on piecing together Pheobe’s final days and movements. Forensic analysis, public assistance, and digital evidence are all being leveraged in the search for answers.
Authorities and the local community remain united by one urgent hope — to bring Pheobe Bishop home safely.
