A moving vigil in memory of slain teenager Pheobe Bishop has drawn a crowd of hundreds, with a speech from her charismatic sister urging those attendance to dance.
The community held a candlelight vigil at Kolan Community Park between 4pm and 6pm on Sunday with about 500 mourners wearing bright colours and butterflies. A second candlelight vigil will be held at Buss Park in nearby Bundaberg on Monday from 5pm.
Pheobe, 17, went missing near Queensland‘s Bundaberg airport about 8.30am on May 15 after booking a trip to WA. On Friday, officers discovered what were believed to be the teenager’s remains near Goodnight Scrub National Park.
The find was made in ‘unforgiving’ terrain southwest of Bundaberg, with investigators aiming to also recover the teenager’s missing luggage expected to wind up their efforts on Saturday evening.
Pheobe’s housemates, James Wood, 34, and Tanika Bromley, 33, fronted Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Friday, three weeks to the day after she missed a flight and vanished. Prosecutors allege the pair moved Pheobe’s body more than once.
At the end of the Sunday’s vigil, Pheobe’s sister Kaylea, 18, dedicated a One Republic song to the teen and said, ‘Please stand up and dance, because you know that’s what this b****h (Pheobe) would do!’
The family immediately broke out dancing and cheering in a moment those in attendance described as incredibly moving.
Pheobe Bishop, pictured with her mum Kylie Johnson, went missing on May 15, with officers discovering what were believed to be the teenager’s remains near Goodnight Scrub National Park on Friday
Pheobe’s sister Kaylea, 18, gave an emotional speech where she said her sister was ‘loyal to the core’ and ‘loved her life’
Kaylea dedicated a One Republic song to the teen and told mourners to ‘stand up and dance’
During the moving vigil, an extremely brave Kaylea gave a tearful speech in honour of her sister.
She said: ‘Obviously, I didn’t write a speech speech, but, um.. Pheobe! 17 years was never enough for your life.
‘But in the short 17 years that she was with us, God, she gave us a run for our b***y money.. She was cutthroat person, but she saw the good in everyone.
‘If she had a opinion about you, you were sure to find out about it, whether you liked it or not. But that’s just the way Phoebe was, but she was loyal to the core of everybody.
‘She loved, respected, and valued her life.’
Pheobe was reported missing after failing to check in and board a flight to Perth, where she planned to meet up with her boyfriend, who Daily Mail Australia is not naming because of his age.
Indy, a relative of Pheobe’s boyfriend, was present at the vigil and shared some words on his behalf.
Pheobe’s loved ones shared touching tributes to the 17-year-old
Onlookers broke down in tears during the emotional candlelit vigil
The Gin Gin community came together to celebrate Pheobe’s life
‘In the quiet space where your laughter once lived, your absence echoes louder than words can say, 17 years, a brief dance of light, yet in that time you touched hearts in many ways that will never fade,’ Indy said.
‘You were a spark, bright, bold, and unafraid, as her family have shared with us, today. The soul who embraced life with open arms.
‘Now in the stillness, we hold on to the warmth of his spirit, the kindness in your eyes in the joy and the smile.
‘Your journey was cut short, but your impact is yours, with every whispered memory, with every tear shed, and every heart that carries you forward, you live on.
‘Rest now, dear Phoebe. In the peace you deserve, I know that you are loved forever and always. Love from Levi.’
Pheobe’s mum Kylie urged the Gin Gin community to ‘respect’ Bromley’s family after she was charged with the 17-year-old’s murder.
Last week, a court heard Bromley cared for two children, including one living with a disability, as part of a shared custody arrangement.
Pheobe’s mum Kylie asked the community not to ‘retaliate’ against Bromley’s family
Kylie held her daughter Kaylea as she shared a powerful speech in honour of her sister
Kaylea danced with members of the Gin Gin community at the end of Sunday’s vigil
Bromley appeared in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court via video link on Monday and again on Tuesday, when she was granted bail, after being charged with weapons offences, including possessing restricted items and unlawful possession of a short firearm.
Kylie bravely called on the local community to support Bromley’s family and said her daughter would want people to show ‘compassion’.
‘I also want to remind our community a very important reminder, and this is imperative for our family and for for us to move forward in our healing,’ she said.
‘I know Tanika has been charged. I know her family live within our community and I expect them to receive respect, and I expect them to receive the respect that they deserve.
‘They have the not made the decisions that this woman is accused of. They are not guilty of any of those actions. Those kids mean the world to us as a family.
‘They meant the world to Phoebe as a family as well. It is imperative to us, as a family, that they are supported just as much as us. They are hurting probably more than us, even though we have lost our child.
‘But I really need you to know that Phoebe’s compassion would have reached that depth. There is to be no anger or hate towards that family.’
‘That person will be brought to justice in a way that justice deserves to be brought to. But that is not dependent on her family, and I need everybody to know that.’
More to follow.
Kylie thanked Bundaberg Police and the State Emergency Service for their efforts in locating her daughter
