One year on and no sign of missing Marokopa children despite growing reward

Thursday, 8 December 2022

The missing Marokopa family with their father Tom Phillips.

The whereabouts of the Tom Phillips and his three children remains a mystery as it ticks over to a year since they were last seen.

There was one reported sighting of Phillips, and one of his ute earlier this year, but no one has seen Jayda, Maverick and Ember since December 9, 2021.

There isn’t even an electronic trace of any kind.

The family of the three primary-aged children are now offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to their safe return.

* Police working with family as Marokopa man takes kids bush again

* Marokopa family go bush again, no search initiated by police

Waikato west area commander Will Loughrin talks about the police effort to find missing Marokopa man Tom Phillips and his 3 children. (Video first published 9 September 2022.)

A Givealitte page began in September to raise money for a reward, and on Wednesday night the family said in a Facebook post the public had donated $4598.40 towards their goal of $10,000.

“As a family we have been able to gather the remainder. The money will be offered for any information leading to the safe return of these three children,” the post said.

The children were last seen at their grandparents’ farm near Marokopa in the Waitomo area.

A warrant to arrest Phillips was issued when he failed to appear in Te Kūiti District Court in January on a charge of wasting police time and resources in relation to the family’s first disappearance back in September 2021.

A search for Phillips and his children, has been going on ever since, captivating the nation and frustrating police and searchers.

Red flags were first raised on September 11 last year when Phillips’ ute was found abandoned at Kiritehere Beach, facing the waves and with the keys under the driver’s seat mat.

The family spent 17 days in Marokopa’s dense bush, but weren’t found despite an intensive police-led land, sea and air search.

Phillips disappeared again in December and did not reappear for Christmas or his court appearance.

Police have said the missing family could be anywhere in the country, and might be using fake names.

The only sightings police know of have been of his ute left parked on Mangatoa Rd near the Mangatoa track in late January.

And February 9, Phillips returned to a family member's home in the middle of the night to take supplies without the children.

Police said Phillips left the family farm under his own volition taking his three young children with him to avoid dynamics he perceives as not good for his children.

They have followed up multiple reports of sightings of the family across New Zealand but without success.

”He appears to be capable of surviving on necessities, however given the amount of time he has been gone with the children, it could be possible that he has found a substantial structure to live in and is being supported by other people.”

Police said anyone helping him could face judicial ramifications.

“We have to recognise that Tom and his children lived a very isolated lifestyle and had limited use of social media or mainstream forms of communication.

“We believe that Tom is being supported by a person or people, and this is allowing him to continue to exist without any electronic trace,” Inspector Will Loughrin said.

Police urge people to be on the lookout for a new family group in their community, specifically a father and three school aged-children. They may have travelled on inter-city trains, buses or ferries.

Other signs are school-aged children that don’t appear to be going to school and any sign of the disappearance of petrol, diesel, food or camping supplies.

Police also said the family may look different from photos which have been circulated.

Anyone who can assist should contact Police via 105 and quote file number 211218/5611.