The housemate taken into police custody amid the disappearance of teenager Pheobe Bishop has been released without charge after hours of questioning.
James Wood – who was one of last two people to see the 17-year-old alive – was on Wednesday taken into custody to assist detectives with their investigation.
Queensland Police confirmed on Thursday he has been released.
“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.”
It comes after freshly leaked texts sent by one of Pheobe Bishop’s housemates claimed the missing teen had stolen jewellery and $5,000 in cash from them while threatening that if police lay homicide charges, the pair will not “live to see court”.
The latest string of leaked messages from Pheobe’s housemate James Wood came after an initial batch of texts revealed his frustration with police questioning.
The texts, obtained by The Daily Mail, offer an insight into her living arrangements with Mr Wood and his partner Tanika Bromley, which the teen had described as a “hell hole”, and the frustration of Mr Wood at the ongoing police investigation.
He was arrested on Wednesday morning to assist police with inquiries into Pheobe’s disappearance, although no charges have yet been laid against him.
“These f***ing coppers are in a witch hunt to see me and Tee (Tanika Bromley) burn at the stake all because we were the last to see her but turns out four f***ing days ago people came out stating they’d seen her with her luggage,” Mr Wood said.
“Cops don’t seem to really care that when she left she took nearly $5k outta mine and T’s room but still harass us, like ‘well how could she have just gone, how hasn’t she popped up on her bank statements?’ Because she has $5k f***ing cash.”
The missing 17-year-old was due to catch a flight to Western Australia from Bundaberg Airport on May 15 to see her boyfriend but never made it into the terminal.
Her boyfriend later claimed he heard an argument in the car Pheobe was travelling in and told a friend “they were both yelling at her and I couldn’t really hear her“.
Additional texts from Mr Wood to a friend appeared to suggest he and Ms Bromley will not “live to see court” if police decide to lay homicide charges.
“Me and T have been hung out to dry. Been f***g witch hunted for Phee’s disappearance and now (they) want to charge us with f***ing homicide,” Mr Wood wrote.
“If the cops have their way they’ll save some money on court fees because neither me or T will live to see court.
“(The police are) wasting time and money because we didn’t do anything wrong and we’ve cooperated at every turn and even though at every turn things seem to get more f***ed for me and Tee directly after dealing with them.”
Mr Wood said he “wouldn’t even be angry” about the money and jewellery Pheobe allegedly stole and insisted he and Ms Bromley just wanted to know she was safe.
“(We) would like not to be lynched in the streets for something we didn’t do,” he wrote.
The person in contact with Mr Wood said the pair had already been made out to look guilty.
“Unless she comes strolling into town whistling dixie, me and Tee are f***ing dead men walking,” Mr Wood said.
The person then asked about why did the “dogs get killed”, to which Mr Wood denied they were killed and that they died from hookworm before the treatment could work.
Sky News makes no suggestions Mr Wood or Ms Bromley were involved in Pheobe’s disappearance.
