Gin Gin house linked to Pheobe Bishop case sold for $360,000 as murder inquiry continues

A private buyer has purchased the Queenslander at 27 Milden Street in Gin Gin, the house tied to the disappearance and death of 17-year-old Pheobe Bishop, for $360,000. The sale, completed on June 13, came weeks after the home’s owners publicly appealed for help to cover cleanup costs following Bishop’s disappearance and the discovery of her remains. Bishop vanished in mid-May while on her way to Bundaberg Airport, and her body was later found on June 6 in Good Night Scrub National Park. Her housemates, James Wood and Tanika Bromley, have been charged with murder and two counts of interfering with a corpse, with police alleging she was killed not long after CCTV captured a car near Bundaberg Airport. The case has drawn national attention to the conditions inside the property and the long road to justice for Bishop and her family.

Neighbours and police described the Gin Gin home as untenable and alarming in the days after Bishop’s disappearance, with investigators saying bags of dead dogs, dog feces and rubbish filled the interior and a strong stench of decay hung over the street. The Ottos, Milena and Jacob, who own the property and had been renting it to Bromley for about $550 a week, said they learned of the state of the home only after Bishop’s case drew media attention. In a GoFundMe appeal launched June 10 to cover cleaning costs and repairs, they asked for community support, noting the “unliveable state” of the interior and the insurance and repair bills they faced. The fundraiser raised about $2,275 before it closed a few days later. The house’s sale price was disclosed in property records as part of a private deal, and it closed just three days after the Ottos launched their appeal.

The former residents’ tragedy prompted renewed scrutiny of the property. The Ottos said they had learned of the home’s condition from media reports and had moved to secure the property after Bishop’s disappearance, later listing it as a rental again only after police declared it a crime scene. The three-bedroom, one-bathroom Queenslander was sold to a private buyer who is local and reportedly intends to restore it to its former condition. The sale yielded a profit for the Ottos, who bought the home for about $160,000 in 2018 and sold it for $360,000.

Police and prosecutors have outlined a timeline that centers on the car seen on CCTV near Bundaberg Airport and the discovery of Bishop’s body in Good Night Scrub National Park. Investigators contend the body was moved twice, first after her disappearance on May 15, and again on May 17, as the investigation unfolded. Bromley and Wood were remanded in custody after being charged with murder and two counts of interfering with a corpse, with their cases mentioned in Bundaberg Magistrates Court in August. A third person, 30-year-old Kieren Daniel Mittelheuser, was charged in July with two counts of accessory after the fact to murder, alleged to have used Bishop’s mobile phone to interfere with investigations. Their next court appearance is scheduled for November 3.

The Daily Mail has spoken with representatives of the Ottos, who expressed a desire to restore the home and re-rent it, though they did not respond to further requests for comment. Authorities have continued to pursue leads and gather evidence as the legal process moves forward, with Bishop’s family seeking accountability and clarity about the events that led to her death. The Gin Gin case remains a high-profile example of how a single residence can become a focal point in a complex murder investigation that spans multiple jurisdictions and communities.