Chilling bushland discovery rocks Queensland police search for missing teen Pheobe Bishop
A mutilated mannequin has been found in remote bushland within the search area for Pheobe Bishop, briefly making police think they had found the missing teenager.
In pictures shared exclusively with Daily Mail Australia, the eerie figure could be seen partially submerged in a waterway, with limbs missing and rubbish littered nearby.
Search teams are scouring the area around Bundaberg and Gin Gin looking for a trace of Pheobe, who was en route to fly from Bundaberg Regional Airport to Western Australia to see her boyfriend on May 15 but apparently never made it to the terminal.
Neither Pheobe nor her luggage have been seen since, and police say neither her phone or bank accounts have been accessed.
A local volunteer, who did not want to be named, made the disturbing discovery while helping in the search effort.
‘My wife and I decided to go out and help look for her on the 18th and 19th [of May],’ he said.
The Good Samaritan couple’s search took them to Short Cut Road – a sparsely populated area between Bundaberg and Gin Gin, where police say they are still searching for clues.
‘When we first saw the mannequin we thought it was a dead kangaroo, but then we were like, “No… that’s a person”,’ said the source.
‘We rang the police and they were there within 10 minutes – one copper who arrived was like, “110 per cent that must be Pheobe”… but then we figured out it was a mannequin.’
The local tipster was relieved it was not the missing teenager – whose disappearance has made worldwide headlines – but also concerned by the nature of the discovery.
They said they soon realised that ‘the head was taken off, there was an arm missing, and a leg was chopped off. It was like someone had been practicing’.
Pheobe lived at a rundown Gin Gin property with housemates James Wood and Tanika Bromley, who have since been charged with unrelated weapons offences.
It is believed the couple, who allegedly drove her to the airport, are the last people to see Pheobe.
No charges have been laid over the disappearance and Daily Mail Australia does not suggest Bromley and Wood were involved in her disappearance.
When asked to comment on the grisly mannequin find, police said, ‘For operational reasons, police cannot disclose any items located throughout the investigation at this stage as it could impact the investigation.’
Investigations are ongoing and police are continuing to run out several lines of enquiry. The greater Gin Gin area remains the focus of the investigation.’
Police continue to appeal to anyone with information, vision or sightings of a grey Hyundai ix35, owned by Bromley and Wood, between May 15 to 18 in the greater Gin Gin area.
On Saturday, Pheobe’s mum Kylie Johnson made an emotional video appeal shared by Queensland Police.
‘This investigation will not be over for me until we find Pheobe,’ Ms Johnson said during the two-minute clip.
‘I still hold hope that Pheobe will come home but I have to consider the possibility that she also won’t.
‘If the worst-case scenario has happened, I at least need to know where she’s resting. I need to know where Pheobe is.’
Meanwhile, as the search for tragic Pheobe drags into its 19th day, Gin Gin, a town of less than 1,139 people according to the 2021 Census, is reeling from being thrust into the international media spotlight.
Local resident Melanie Nelson has launched a petition on change.org begging for more funding to help support the small police station, which services the area.
‘In the tight-knit community of Gin Gin, the unsettling disappearance of Phoebe Bishop has sent shockwaves through our hearts,’ she said.
‘Phoebe, a young and vibrant girl, seemingly vanished without a trace, leaving her family and friends in a state of agony and despair.
‘Our close community now finds itself shrouded in fear and worry, and it is evident that we need greater support from law enforcement to ensure the safety and security of our residents.
‘Despite our best efforts and the relentless search by volunteers and local authorities, clues are scarce, and time is of the essence.
‘Our small police force is overextended, handling multiple cases with limited resources. This unfortunate situation has highlighted the urgent need for additional police officers in our area to prevent further tragedies and to better support ongoing investigations.’
The petition has been signed by almost 300 people.