Rough overgrown terrain covers the mountainous ranges of Te Anga on New Zealand’s north island.
There, a man dressed in camouflage wet gear carrying a backpack is spotted being followed by three children by pig hunters in Marokopa.
The man is wanted fugitive Tom Phillips and his three children Jayda, now 11, Maverick, nine, and Ember, eight.
They have not been seen since December 2021.
Who are the Phillips family?
Tom Phillips grew up in the Ōtorohanga, about 180km south of Auckland, in the Waikato district.
He spent much of his time on a family farm in Marokopa, about an hour drive west of Ōtorohanga going past the famous Waitomo caves.
Those caves are among dozens dotted around the Waikato district.
According to the 2018 census, Marokopa has a population of just 69 people. It is predominatingly farming area but is also known for its fossils.
Aisla Mitchell, a former neighbour, told Stuff the Phillips family had farmed in the area for several generations.
Mr Phillips had three children with wife Catherine; Jayda, Maverick and Ember.
He had been homeschooling them since separating with Catherine after eight years of marriage. Stuff reports he had full custody of the children.
The first disappearance
A ute was spotted at Kiritehere beach facing the beach on September 13, 2021, being battered by waves.
It was two days since Tom Phillips and his family were last seen.
An air, land and sea search was launched to find the locally well-known family.
Six days passed and the search base was stood down before the daily searches were suspended on September 24.
Nineteen days after disappearing the family returned to their Marokopa farm — they had been camping in dense bushland 15km from where the ute was found.
Mr Phillips was well known in the locale as an experienced camper and hunter.
The search and rescue mission was reported to have cost hundreds of thousands and Mr Phillips is charged with wasting police resources. His court date is set of November 5 but moved to January 12 due to COVID.
Second disappearance
Mr Phillips leaves the family farm with his children again on December 9, 2021.
He is not in violation of any custody agreements and is believed to be camping again so it doesn’t raise any alarm bells for police.
However, when Mr Phillips fails to show up for his January 12 court date, police issue an arrest warrant.
At this point, the Phillips’ had been missing for 34 days.
His ute is spotted once again in late January, this time parked on Mangatoa road near the Mangatoa Track, about 20km south of Marokopa.
In June 2024 police announced an $NZ80,000 ($72,500) reward for information that leads to the safe return of the Phillips children. The reward offer expired on June 25.
String of robberies
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February 2022
Mr Phillips visits a family member’s home to pick up supplies in the middle of the night on February 9.
Waikato west area commander Inspector Will Loughrin said in a statement at the time he did not have the children with him.
“He provided reassurances to his family that he and his children were well, however did not disclose where they were living,” he told Stuff.
May 2023
Tom Phillips is accused of being one of two people involved in an armed robbery of a bank, in Te Kuiti — about an hour west of Marokopa on May 16.
“In May, police appealed for information after two people entered a bank on Rora Street, Te Kuiti and demanded cash,” Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders said in a statement in September.
“Both were armed and fled the scene on a black, farm-style motorbike.”
Police charged Mr Phillips with aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding and unlawfully possessing a firearm.
August 2023
Mr Phillips is spotted on August 2, 2023, for the first time in more than a year with a stolen bronze Toyota Hilux on State Highway 31 in the Kāwhia area, about an hour’s drive north of Marokopa, headed towards Hamilton.
He was first spotted about 12:30pm south of Te Awamutu before being spotted by someone known to him in a Bunnings car park in Te Rapa, Hamilton, two hours north of Marokopa, at 4pm.
“Following that, the same ute we believe was driven by Tom Phillips was sighted in the Kāwhia area at 8.45pm,” Inspector Loughrin told a press conference at the time.
“Police were alerted to the vehicle because it had been involved in an altercation.”
He said police responded immediately and part of the response included deploying the Eagle helicopter, however the car was not found that day.
In a statement, police later revealed Mr Phillips had visited a second Bunnings on Kahikatea Drive where he purchased various equipment.
“He used a large amount of cash to make these purchases and the items purchased suggest that Tom may have set up a campsite,” the statement said.
These items included headlamps, batteries, seedlings, buckets and gumboots.
Police located the bronze ute in Te Anga, about an hour and a half south-west of the Bunnings, two days later.
November 2023
Mr Phillips and a child are spotted again outside a store in Piopio, about an hour and 20 minutes south-east of Marokopa, on November 2, 2023.
The pair are alleged to have smashed the glass of a store before fleeing when the alarm sounds at 2:10am.
They are also accused of having stolen a red quad bike from a Marokopa Road property in Te Anga.
Spotted by hunters
Just less than a year after his last appearance Mr Phillips is spotted by pig hunters in Marokopa farmland on Coutts Road on October 3.
The group film the father, holding a rifle, and his children trekking through the area.
The grandfather of one of the pig hunters told the New Zealand Herald the Phillips children had asked the hunters “who else knows we’re here?” before they kept walking.
Inspector Saunders said in a statement the footage received was a credible sighting and they dispatched a three-day search to the area including police and Air Force helicopters.
“While nothing further of significance was located, investigators will now assess information gathered to determine any next steps,” Inspector Phillips said.
“This is the first time all three of the children have been sighted, which is positive information, and we know it will be reassuring for the children’s wider family.”