A four-year-old missing-person case in Queensland has taken a devastating turn after police discovered human remains buried beneath a cubby house in a suburban backyard and charged two people with murder.

Chad Steven Bishop, who was 46 when he disappeared, was last seen in Beenleigh, south of Brisbane, on March 3, 2022. His disappearance had remained unresolved for more than four years.

The breakthrough came after police received new information that led investigators to a property on Old Trafford Road in Bethania. Officers searched the backyard on Monday and reportedly found a box containing human remains buried in a shallow grave beneath the area where a cubby house had been positioned.

Detective Inspector Ian Galpin described the investigation as lengthy and complex. Police said the remains are believed to be those of Bishop, but a formal identification has not yet been completed. An autopsy is also expected to help establish the cause of death.

Two people have now been charged in connection with the suspected killing.

Courtenay Williams, 52, from Bethania, and Carlie Rochelle Mordue, 45, from Windaroo, are each facing charges of murder and interfering with a corpse. Police allege the pair knew Bishop and that his death occurred in a Beenleigh townhouse before his remains were allegedly moved to the Bethania property.

Neither accused entered a plea during their first court appearance in Brisbane Magistrates Court. Both were remanded in custody and are due to return to court on September 7.

The discovery has brought a painful development for Bishop’s family, who had spent years without knowing what happened to him. His mother, Karen Wood, previously described her son as caring and affectionate and said his disappearance was completely out of character.

For investigators, however, major questions remain unanswered. Police are continuing their forensic examination of the property and will rely on the autopsy and other evidence to establish exactly what happened.

The location where the remains were discovered has also shocked the local community. Investigators spent hours examining the backyard after moving the cubby house to gain access to the area where the shallow grave was allegedly located.

After more than four years of uncertainty, the discovery represents the biggest breakthrough yet in the Chad Bishop case. But until the remains are formally identified and the evidence is tested in court, key details surrounding his death remain allegations rather than proven facts.

The investigation continues, while two people now face the serious accusation that they were responsible for the death of a man whose family had been waiting years for answers.