Phillips family disappearances

Tom Phillips and his three young children disappeared from the isolated rural Waikato town of Marokopa on 9 December 2021. New Zealand Police believe that the children were taken by their father to a location somewhere in the western Waikato, after a dispute with their mother. Phillips is alleged to have committed a bank robbery in September 2023, but the first sighting of all three children with their father was on 3 October 2024, when they were spotted walking through Marokopa farmland. However, despite a three-day search of the area, including the use of a military helicopter, they have not yet been located.

The family had previously been considered missing for 19 days in September of the same year, sparking a major search effort. Phillips's truck was found abandoned on the Marokopa shoreline and was swamped with seawater. Almost three weeks later, Phillips returned with the children, claiming that he had taken them on a camping trip in dense bush in an effort to clear his head. He was charged with wasting police time and resources.

Before their disappearance, Tom Phillips lived in Ōtorohanga in New Zealand's Waikato district with his three children.^[1][2] They also spent much of their time at the family farm in Marokopa. Phillips had been separated from his wife Catherine for several years and was homeschooling the children.^{[citation needed][3]} He is an experienced hunter and camper. The Phillips family has farmed in the area for generations.^[4]

The Phillips family had last been seen on 11 September 2021, at the family farm in Marokopa. Two days later their Toyota Hilux was found parked below the tideline at nearby Kiritehere beach, being battered by waves.^[5] The car keys were under the driver's side mat. Police launched a search operation and a rāhui was placed on the area, disrupting local whitebait fishing.^[6][7] Searchers' initial assessment was that they had most likely been swept out to sea.^[8] Despite daily searches of land, sky, and sea, involving a plane, helicopter, jet ski, inflatable rescue boat, and heat-detecting drones, no trace was found. The search base at Marokopa Hall was stood down on 19 September^[9] and daily searches were suspended on 24 September.^[10][11]

Phillips and his children were sighted in the morning of 30 September, riding a bike on Mangatoa Road. Police dispatched a plane but were unable to find them. Later in the morning, they "walked through the door" of the family farm.^[12] Phillips' sister stated that he had "wanted space to clear his head" and had been living in a tent 15 km (9.3 miles) inland from the beach where his ute had been found. The children were perfectly healthy,^[13][14] described as "bouncy as ever" by their grandmother.^[15] A friend of Phillips alleged that he had parked the ute in a car park near where he was camping but that it had been stolen, taken for a joyride and dumped at the beach.^[16] With the cost of the search estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars,^[17] Phillips was charged with wasting police resources, with a court date set for 5 November.^[18] This was delayed to 12 January 2022 due to COVID-19 restrictions.^[19]

Phillips disappeared with the children again on 9 December 2021. Police did not initiate a search, stating that he had notified his family of where he was going and was not in violation of court restrictions.^[20][21][22] He did not show up to his court date on 12 January and thus an arrest warrant was issued. His lawyer had not heard from him since first informing him of the court date.^[19][23] His ute was discovered parked on Mangatoa Road in late January.^[24] Phillips returned home for about an hour at night on 9 February to get supplies, telling his family that the children were okay but not disclosing their location.^[25] By that point he had grown a beard.^[26] New Zealand Police believe that the children were taken by their father to a location somewhere in the western Waikato, "within Marokopa or the surrounding areas” after a dispute with their mother.^[27]

The police, the children's mother, and Ōtorohanga mayor Max Baxter all believe he is receiving additional help to survive.^[28][29]

The older half-sisters of the Phillips children launched a petition in May, calling on the police and relevant government ministries to do more to find them.^[30] Police subsequently made a public appeal for information on Ten 7 Aotearoa.^[31] There were two reported sightings of the children in May,^[32] but these were later dismissed by police.^[33] The children's maternal family planned for a search in June, but this was cancelled due to concerns from police.^[34] In August, police posited the idea that the Phillips family may have changed their names and started a new life elsewhere in the country.^[26]

Police declined to offer a reward for the children's return in September 2022,^[1] so in October their maternal family began fundraising on Givealittle to offer a $10,000 reward themselves.^[35][36] They managed to raise only around half of that, but said they will supply the remaining reward money themselves.^[37]

Phillips allgedly stole a Toyota Hilux ute on 2 August 2023. The stolen ute was later found near Te Anga on 4 August.^{[38][39][40][41]}

In September 2023, Phillips was charged with aggravated robbery, including unlawful possession of a firearms, after allegedly robbing a bank and shooting at a supermarket worker in Te Kūiti in May 2023. A NZ$80,000 reward was offered by the police for two weeks in June 2024 for information that led to the location and safe return of the children. The police received 50 tips "deemed worthy of consideration".^[42] The offender was photographed with an unidentified accomplice, believed to be one of his children.^[43][44]

On 11 June 2024, the police announced a reward of up to $80,000 for information that would lead to the return of the children within two weeks. They also offered legal immunity to anyone who may be assisting the Phillips' if they came forward.^[45] They received information overnight and set up checkpoints around Marokopa the next day.^[46][47] On the eldest child's eleventh birthday, the children's mother released a video pleading for the public to assist the police in their search.^[48]

On 3 October 2024, Phillips and the three children were spotted walking through Marokopa farmland by a pair of pig hunters, who filmed the encounter.^[49] The pair did not take the interaction further due to Phillips possessing a gun, and instead called the police. After a three-day search, including the use of a military helicopter, "nothing further of significance" was found, according to police.^[50][51]

• List of people who disappeared