Chad Steven BISHOP
Chad Steven BISHOP
A body believed to be that of a man missing since 2022 has been found in a shallow grave under a cubby house in a suburban backyard south of Brisbane.
Police have charged a man and a woman with murdering 46-year-old Chad Steven Bishop in Beenleigh and interfering with a corpse.
Courtenay Williams, 52, from Bethania and a 45-year-old Windaroo woman, Carlie Rochelle Mordue, were arrested on Monday.
Court documents allege that on or about March 2, 2022, the pair "improperly interfered" by moving a "dead human body".
Mr Bishop was reported missing that same month.
The body has not yet been formally identified, but police said Mr Bishop's family had been updated.
Detective Inspector Ian Galpin said police found human remains in a search of a property on Old Trafford Road at Bethania yesterday.
He said a recent tip had led police to the Bethania backyard, where the body was found buried in a box.
"The backyard's a bit of a mess. There is a pool in the backyard and there is a cubby house," he said.
"Police moved that cubby house in order to access a particular part of the yard which is where they subsequently found the box.
"It was just located within a shallow grave."
According to real estate sales records, Mr Williams is the owner of the Old Trafford Road home, and it is listed in court documents as his current address.
Detective Inspector Galpin said the accused and Mr Bishop all knew each other.
"We'll continue with a forensic examination of the scene; there'll be an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death," he said.
The pair did not enter a plea when their matters were mentioned at the Brisbane Magistrates Court today.
Mr Williams was an unemployed carpenter, and Ms Mordue was a sales assistant.
They are next due to face court on September 7.