'We're not coping': Family's emotional plea after son goes missing

The family of a missing Victorian man person issued a hopeless plea for thief to find him, saying his disappearance is wholly retired of character.

Joshua Bishop, 23, was past seen successful Lalor Crescent successful Sunbury past week, astir 9.30pm connected Tuesday, May 27, by his housemate.

He was reported missing by his mother connected Thursday, May 29.

The 23-year-old's family collapsed down coming arsenic they issued an urgent plea for accusation while holding onto dream their boy is still alive.

"Josh was really unfastened pinch me. We had a really bully relationship," mother Kristie said arsenic she held backmost tears.

"This is not thing he would do unless he felt he had to.

"This is just... decidedly retired of character."

The aspiring individual trainer's beingness and intelligence wellness had declined successful caller weeks, his mum said.

"I could spot he had changed successful his face, his body. He'd ever been into fittingness and nan melodramatic weight nonaccomplishment was a existent interest for me.

"I conscionable want to cognize that he's safe. Safe and alive, that's each we want."

Dad Travis said his boy was "loved by everyone" and doesn't judge he would person immoderate enemies.

"Someone has to cognize something," he said.

"We've had a batch of support, but we still haven't sewage immoderate person to our son, which is hard.

"We're each conscionable praying that he's safe. We're hurting... we're not coping."

Bishop's telephone was past utilized astatine Broadmeadows Valley Park connected nan time he was past seen.

Neither his telephone nor slope accounts person been utilized since.

Police person searched nan parkland pinch drones and nan canine squad, but person recovered nary trace of him.

Bishop's achromatic Toyota Corolla was recovered successful Ridley Street, Albion connected Wednesday this week.

Police opportunity associates person told them nan car had been stolen, but this was not reported to police.

"The conveyance is believed to beryllium parked location by Josh, astatine this shape it appears unrelated to nan circumstances of him going missing," Acting Detective Sergeant Matthew Wilson-Hawe said.

"It was near astatine that location anterior to him going missing."

Although Bishop was not antecedently known to constabulary and has ne'er gone missing before, investigators opportunity they person been incapable to norm retired nan anticipation he was progressive successful criminal activity or that his disappearance whitethorn beryllium suspicious.

"We request information. We are, this stage, astatine a loss. We don't cognize wherever he is, we don't cognize wherever he's gone, we don't cognize why he's gone," Wilson-Hawe said.

"From each accounts, his disappearance is incredibly retired of character.

"The much clip passes without america proceeding Joshua aliases getting immoderate accusation astir his whereabouts, nan much we judge his disappearance is apt to beryllium suspicious."

At this stage, detectives judge Bishop near his location by car.

"It appears he was picked up by someone, but we're still exploring a spot further down nan timeline to spot if he was still pinch someone," Wilson-Dawe said.

Bishop's younger relative Riley described nan 23-year-old arsenic a selfless, protective older relative pinch a passion for wellness and fitness.

"He ne'er put himself first, he ever put nan group he loved earlier him," Riley said.

"He was very into his fitness. He wanted to commencement up his ain individual training [business].  He conscionable loved learning."

Bishop is Caucasian and described arsenic being of mean build pinch short blonde hairsbreadth and bluish eyes.

He was past seen wearing a achromatic singlet and tracksuit pants.

Anyone who sees Bishop aliases has accusation connected his whereabouts is urged to interaction Crime Stoppers.www.crimestoppersvic.com.au