logo
Life of ‘The Crabman' charged over Pheobe's murder revealed

Life of ‘The Crabman' charged over Pheobe's murder revealed

Perth Now04-07-2025
Shock development as a third person charged in the murder of the QLD teenager.
The third person charged over the alleged murder of Pheobe Bishop has been revealed as a father with a passion for fishing, fast cars and heavy metal.
Social media accounts of Kieren Daniel Mittelheuser, also known as 'The Crabman', paint a picture of a man with simple tastes.
But he is now facing serious charges over the 17-year-old's death.
On Tuesday, police arrested him outside a fast food drive-thru in Bundaberg West.
Mr Mittelheuser was later charged with two counts of accessory after the fact to murder and is also facing other charges of driving while disqualified, fraud and drug possession.
Police said it will be alleged he used Pheobe's mobile phone to interfere with their investigation. Kieren Daniel Mittelheuser. Credit: Facebook
Mr Mittelheuser's lawyer told court the fraud charge and the accessory after the fact charges were related, during a first hearing for the case, The Courier Mail reports.
Mr Zeller M, solicitor with Indigo Law, said the fraud charge involved the alleged use of a credit or debit card that is also relevant to the accessory allegations.
Mr Mittelheuser's arrest came after that of Pheobe's housemates James Wood, 34, and Tanika Bromley, 33, who were charged with her murder and interfering with a corpse on June 5.
The teenager had been living with them in a garbage-strewn property in the small town of Gin Gin, near Bundaberg before she vanished on May 15.
Pheobe failed to board a flight to WA to visit her boyfriend and was reported missing, sparking a major search.
Her remains were found just over three weeks later in the Good Night Scrub National Park on June 6. Kieren Daniel Mittelheuser was charged with two counts of accessory after the fact to murder. Credit: facebook Kieren Daniel Mittelheuser likes fishing, fat cars and heavy metal. Credit: Facebook
Mr Mittelheuser, who was born in March 1995 and attended Bundaberg State High School, is a father but reportedly does not live with his child and is estranged from the mother.
Over recent years, Mr Mittelheuser has set up numerous social media accounts showing off his love of fishing, cars and heavy metal bands including Slipknot and The Amity Affliction.
The day Mr Wood and Ms Bromley were charged with Pheobe's murder, Mr Mittelheuser posted to Instagram, 'I don't even care about my foot hanging off my bed anymore, come get me demons. Bring me home', a popular reference that is part of a TikTok trend.
On one of his Facebook pages, Mr Mittelheuser refers to being 'rinsed' by Trent McRae — a man who is one of two charged over the death of Bundaberg father Matty Nilsen, 34, who was riding his bike when he was hit and killed during an alleged hooning incident on April 29.
Mr Mittelheuser's case is next due in court on August 25.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Young FIFO worker identified as victim of horror WA crash
Young FIFO worker identified as victim of horror WA crash

Perth Now

time16 hours ago

  • Perth Now

Young FIFO worker identified as victim of horror WA crash

The young man who died after being hit by a reckless driver fleeing police in Forrestfield has been identified as a FIFO worker with a 'cheeky smile.' Junbo Shim, 22, recently moved to Perth from South Korea to start a new life as a worker in the mines. On June 25, tragedy struck when Mr Shim and his girlfriend were hit by a reckless driver who was fleeing police at the intersection of Hale Road and Tonkin Highway in Forrestfield at about 10.17pm. Mitchell Boskov, 26, was driving a white Nissan Navara utility when he allegedly ran a red light and smashed into Mr Shim's blue Ford Falcon station wagon. Mr Boskov was charged with manslaughter, reckless driving to escape a police pursuit, reckless driving causing bodily harm in circumstances of aggravation, and driving without authority. Emergency services at the scene of a crash in Forrestfield on Wednesday night. Credit: 7NEWS / 7NEWS Mr Shim's girlfriend received non-life-threatening injuries. The loss of the 22-year-old, who was living in Kalamunda, has rocked the Perth Hills community, according to long-term resident Linda Harrup. Ms Harrup met with Mr Shim's mother, father and brother on Wednesday when they arrived in Perth to bring their son home. 'I don't know this family, I didn't know who they are, all I knew is their son is the same age as my son and that could've been him like we drive through there all the time so I just had to find them and they are beautiful,' she said. 'If your child was in another country you would want people looking after him and after the family and that's what we do in Australia we help people.' Ms Harrup met with Mr Shim's mother, father and brother on Wednesday when they arrived in Perth to bring their son home. Credit: Facebook Ms Harrup said meeting the family was extremely emotional but it helped her grieve the loss of a close friend who died in a car accident a few months ago. 'We basically just sat there hugging each other for the first minute,' she said. 'His mum just fell apart in my arms... we shared lots of tears today, and photos, 'So much was communicated through the photos that they showed me of him in Australia and you could just see he was embracing it with his whole heart, it was evident from sitting with the family that he would've been a beautiful person.' Ms Harrup has started a GoFundMe on behalf of the Perth hills community in an attempt to ease the financial pressure the Shim family is facing. 'I will also be approaching the Kalamunda Shire to see if there is the possibilty of recognising Junbo in some way in one of our parks,' he said. 'A reminder to all of us that we have adopted this young man as one of ours, 'I told the family today they are now one of ours, a hills family who we will always remember.'

Motive emerges for murder of Perth brothers in Mexico
Motive emerges for murder of Perth brothers in Mexico

Perth Now

timea day ago

  • Perth Now

Motive emerges for murder of Perth brothers in Mexico

The Mexican prosecutor leading the case against four people accused of killing Perth brothers Jake and Callum Robinson has ruled out any connection to cartel activity, saying it was more likely a botched robbery. Miguel Ángel Gaxiola Rodríguez says there is still no evidence linking the brutal murders to organised crime, the ABC reported. This is despite the horrific killings occurring in an area notorious for cartel activity and violence. Instead, Mr Gaxiola Rodríguez believes the most likely reason for the murders was tyre theft. Jake and Callum Robinson had been camping in a remote part of northern Mexico with their American friend Carter Rhoad when they were each shot in the head in April 2024. Their bodies were then callously dumped in a 15-metre-deep well in Baja California. A fourth, unrelated body was also found in the same location. Mr Gaxiola Rodriguez told the ABC: 'It appears the perpetrators identified an opportunity for robbery when they encountered the foreigners in a highly isolated location. 'These individuals exploited the circumstances to perpetrate the robbery, resulting in the fatal shooting of the three foreigners.' Four people are now facing charges over the killings: Jesús Gerardo, known as 'El Kekas'; his then-girlfriend Ari Gisell; Ángel Jesús; and Irineo Francisco. Mexican laws prevent the publication of the group's surnames. Jake Robinson and Callum Robinson. Missing in Mexico. Credit: Unknown / Instagram Since their arrests, a court was told Gerardo — who was the first to be taken into custody — had allegedly confessed to his then-partner, showing her the allegedly stolen tyres and then allegedly telling her: 'I up three gringos'. All the defendants are due to appear in court next week, where they will face charges of aggravated homicide — which carries a maximum penalty of 60 years, violent robbery, and grand theft auto, with the three men also facing an addition count of forced disappearance. 'We have compelling evidence, including witness statements, and we have found the vehicle,' Mr Gaxiola Rodríguez said. 'The objective is to ensure that the accused are brought to trial and convicted of the homicide and robbery.'

Childcare in Perth: Daycare centres charging over maximum rate cap as daily prices surge above $200
Childcare in Perth: Daycare centres charging over maximum rate cap as daily prices surge above $200

West Australian

timea day ago

  • West Australian

Childcare in Perth: Daycare centres charging over maximum rate cap as daily prices surge above $200

More than one third of childcare centres are charging fees above the maximum recommended by the Federal Government — the highest percentage since the subsidy was introduced in 2018 — as daily prices in Perth surge to above $200 in some suburbs. According to Federal Government data, 34.9 per cent of childcare centres in Australia had hourly fees over the maximum rate cap of $14.29 in the March quarter, compared to 29.9 per cent in the previous quarter and 12.5 per cent five years ago. The hourly-fee cap is set by the Government as a guide for what a 'high fee' might be, and it's the maximum rate the government will subsidise. A family's Child Care Subsidy percentage applies to the lowest of either the cap, or the hourly fee charged by their childcare provider, so families pay the difference when childcare centres charge above the cap. Last Monday, July 7, the CCS hourly rate cap increased to $14.63 in line with the Consumer Price Index. But the industry has warned the rise is not enough. Rachelle Tucker, the chief executive of the Australian Childcare Alliance WA, said the increase in centres charging above the hourly cap was concerning from an affordability perspective. 'But it is a reflection of the growing gap between the actual cost of delivering quality early learning and the CCS system's capped rates,' she said. 'The fee cap has not kept pace with the real costs of service delivery, especially for services in high-cost areas or those with higher staffing needs to support quality ratios and educational outcomes.' She added it was important to note that charging above the cap did not necessarily mean services were over-charging. 'It often means they are trying to cover their genuine operating costs,' she said. The revelations come at a time of turmoil for the sector, with educators, parents and providers reeling from allegations against Victorian man Joshua Dale Brown, who was charged with dozens of child sex offences allegedly committed against eight children at a Melbourne childcare centre. The WA Government has ordered a snap review of child safety in the State in light of the allegations. Last weekend, The West Australian revealed that hundreds of WA childcare centres either don't meet minimum quality standards or are yet to be rated. The State has the lowest proportion of centres that exceed the minimum standards, and none of its almost 1500 childcare services are rated 'excellent'. Government data shows fees in WA have increased by 15 per cent or $1.90 an hour in the past two years, to an average of $13.90 an hour across the country. Daily fees across Perth have hit $200 — before the CCS — in some areas. In response to a Facebook post on a parents' forum this week, dozens of Perth mothers shared their daily fees, starting as low as $119 and reaching $215. The six Schools of Early Learning are among the most expensive. Its North Perth centre has a two-day minimum costing $424. The price decreases each additional day to $905 for five days. Last year the Federal Government announced a 15 per cent pay rise for almost 200,000 childcare educators as part of a $3.6 billion package — but centres could only access the funding if they agreed to cap any fee increases at 4.4 per cent. Ms Tucker said while many centres had done their best to remain within the cap, 'the reality is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to absorb the rising costs of operating without passing some of those costs on to families. 'The cap is a blunt instrument that doesn't account for the significant cost increases in wages, utilities, food, rent, and compliance,' she said. 'Services are trying to balance affordability for families with the financial sustainability required to maintain quality and retain staff. Many services are operating on very tight margins, with little financial buffer.' Minister for Early Childhood Education Jess Walsh said the Government's early childhood education reforms, introduced two years ago, had delivered relief to more than one million families. 'For a family earning $168,000, with one child in care 30 hours a week, our reforms have cut out-of-pocket costs by around $7440 than they otherwise would be,' she said. 'We want to make sure workers can be fairly paid without the costs being passed onto families.' The Government is taking compliance action against centres that breach the 4.4 per cent fee cap, but it is understood the vast majority of centres have kept within the rules.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store