Friends of missing teen Pheobe Bishop reported mysterious occurrences on her Facebook account hours before her housemates were charged with murder.
Police arrested James Wood, 34, and his partner Tanika Bromley, 33, in Bundaberg in central Queensland on Thursday night.
The couple had taken the 17-year-old into their home in the weeks before her disappearance on May 15.
The individuals are believed to have been the final ones to have contact with Pheobe and were scheduled to transport her to Bundaberg airport that morning. However, her body has not been discovered yet.
The pair were charged with one count each of murder and two counts each of interfering with a corpse on Thursday night.
They will remain in custody and are due to appear in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Friday.
The charges were laid hours after Pheobe’s friends reported odd occurrences on her Facebook account on Thursday.
The teen’s Facebook Messenger account appeared to be online at various times over a 14 hour period between midnight and 2pm.
Pheobe Bishop’s flatmates have been charged over the teen’s disappearance
James Wood and Tanika Bromley were charged with murder on Thursday night
A screenshot appeared to show Pheobe’s Facebook account had been online on Thursday – three weeks after she vanished
One person reported that a green dot on her profile picture – showing when someone is logged in and available for instant chat – appeared at 12.18am.
Additionally, a different friend on Facebook posted a screenshot at approximately 2pm, indicating that Pheobe’s social media account had been active just eight minutes prior to the screenshot.
Both friends said they had reported the strange occurrences, with one even posting it to the social media of Pheobe’s mum Kylie Johnson.
Daily Mail Australia contacted Queensland Police at 3pm Thursday to comment on the situation
‘For investigative reasons, we cannot provide that level of detail,’ a spokesperson said.
Police announced the charges against Wood and Bromley five-and-a-half hours later.
The pair were charged hours after Wood was taken into custody before being released.
Prior to her apprehension, Bromley showed up at Gin Gin police station around 9.15am on Thursday to check-in for bail related to unrelated weapons charges.
Tanika Bromley was seen smoking a cigarette after she reported for bail at Gin Gin Police Station on Thursday on unrelated weapons charges
A friend of the teen shared a screenshot taken around 2pm Thursday that appeared to show Pheobe’s account had been online just eight minutes before the image had been taken
Bromley arrived to report for bail at Gin Gin police station about 9.15am on Thursday on unrelated weapons charges. Within 12 hours, she was charged with murder
Hours before he was charged with murder, a photo resurfaced of James Wood on his wedding day to another woman in 2021
It was the first time she had been spotted since her partner Wood had been arrested and then released.
Wearing a beige woolen jacket, blue jeans and red trainers, had notably dyed her hair from blonde to brown and had air pods in as she smoked a cigarette.
When asked by Daily Mail Australia to comment on the unrelated weapons charges against her and and her partner, she declined to speak.
She put on her oversized sunglasses and then drove off.
Pheobe’s mum Kylie Johnson shared a heartbreaking post shortly after she received the update from police on Thursday night.
‘Our world has just been shattered into the most horrific place I’ve ever been,’ she wrote.
‘I need my baby home to put her to rest! I’m absolutely begging anyone that knows anything to come forward.
‘We need to put her to rest, we need to put her to peace.’
Shortly before she received the news, Ms Johnson took to Facebook to mark three weeks since her ‘Phee Phee’ disappeared.
Pheobe (pictured with her mum Kylie Johnson) was last seen on May 15
Tanika Bromley refused to comment when confronted by Daily Mail Australia outside Gin Gin Police Station on Thursday
‘My heart is holding onto every little memory and hope that you come home to us Phee Phee, the little internal family jokes, the little digs at your siblings and the love that you all unconditionally shared,’ Ms Johnson began.
‘The fierceness of that was beyond beautiful and unique.. I remember someone commenting once that you were all so co dependent that you finished each other sentences.’
‘This statement made me the happiest mum alive! Your sibling bond is deep, meaningful and makes my heart so happy.. The emotional connection, love and friendship has always been unmatched and unquestioned..
’21 days without a txt, a call, or any contact.. I know our daughter and this isn’t her behavior.
‘Someone knows something! Someone has the answers to bring our Phee Phee home!
James Wood and Tanika Bromley will appear in Bundaberg Local Court on Friday
‘Someone knows something! Someone has the answers to bring our Phee Phee, our Nanny McPhee, our Auntie Nanny our Nanny, our Flea Flea and our family member home!’
Pheobe was last seen on May 15 leaving the Gin Gin home, near Bundaberg, where she was living with Wood and his partner Bromley.
The couple drove Pheobe to Bundaberg Airport for an 8.30am flight to Brisbane and then on to Perth, where she planned to meet up with her boyfriend.
Pheobe failed to board and neither she nor her luggage have been seen since, with police revealing her neither her phone or bank accounts have been accessed.
The development comes after Wood was initially arrested on Wednesday and then released without charge.
Police provided an update earlier on Thursday.
‘Detectives are continuing to run through several lines of enquiry as investigations continue, and will conduct physical searches when required,’ a spokesperson said.
‘Police are continuing to appeal for any information about Pheobe’s whereabouts.’
The search for Pheobe was scaled back on Wednesday after police had spent weeks combing several areas of interest.
‘Our world has just been shattered into the most horrific place I’ve ever been,’ Pheobe’s mum Kylie (left) posted on Thursday night
Pheobe’s remains are yet to be located. Pictured is a search in Good Night Scrub National Park
They included the property in Gin Gin where Pheobe had lived with Wood and Bromley and a grey Hyundai ix35, thought to have been used to take Pheobe to the airport.
The police search initially focused on Good Night Scrub National Park with homicide detectives, cadaver dogs and divers called in.
Some items believed to be linked to the investigation were seized for forensic examination.
The search revealed evidence might have been moved from the national park before police arrived.
Anyone with information regarding Pheobe’s disappearance is urged to call Crime Stoppers.
