Pheobe Bishop: Family gather in private for funeral of allegedly murdered teen
Twenty-five days after the remains of the 17-year-old were discovered in bushland, she will be laid to rest at a private funeral in Elliot Heads.
Pheobe had been missing for weeks before her body was found on June 5. Her two former housemates, James Wood, 34, and Tanika Bromley, 33, have been charged with murder and interfering with a corpse.
In a statement to the
ABC
, Pheobe's mother Kylie Johnson said she was 'devastated this is something we have had to navigate'.
'This is absolutely everybody's worst nightmare, however, we promised to get Phee home and give her a send-off that Phee would approve of and that's what will happen,' Ms Johnson said.
She said two 'amazing women in Phee's life' would conduct the private service to be held at 2pm on Monday and attendees had been asked to don brightly coloured clothing.
Ms Johnson said her daughter loved hugs, dancing and singing.
'I would tell people to hug their kids a little tighter, tell them you love them multiple times a day, watch that silly movie, dance to the song and capture every moment in your memories,' she said.
Condolence messages are flowing in an online guestbook for the funeral, hosted by Des Allen and Co.
'Phee you truly will be missed by those that knew you and now the world. Thank you for being the human you were. I will forever cherish the memories I have of you. Missing you more the (Sic) ever Phee,' one person wrote.
A community candlelight vigil was held for Pheobe on June 8 and a colourful convoy to commemorate her love of the outdoors and passion for cars on June 15.
Pheobe's disappearance gripped Australia for more than three weeks and made headlines around the world as police combed bushland and appealed to the public for help to find her.
Mr Wood and Ms Bromley were living with Pheobe in a rundown, garbage-strewn house in the small Queensland town of Gin Gin when she vanished.
The pair claimed they dropped her to Bundaberg airport in their grey Hyundai ix35 on May 15, so the teen could catch a flight to WA to visit her boyfriend. But she never made it.
On June 5, Mr Wood and Ms Bromley were charged. They are now being held in custody and are due to return to court in August.
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