'Credible sighting' of missing NZ dad and his children last week

Police are continuing to investigate reported sightings last week of fugitive Tom Phillips and his missing children. Investigators received information around 7 p.m. last Thursday that Phillips was seen with his three children, Jayda, Maverick, and Ember, in the bush area west of Marokopa Coutts Road.

Police have stated that their inquiries have confirmed this was a credible sighting, and they believe it was indeed Phillips and his children. Police subsequently deployed staff to the Marokopa area on Thursday evening and launched a three-day search. The search involved aerial support from the Police Eagle helicopter and a Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopter.

Police said the search did not uncover any further significant leads, but investigators will assess the information gathered to determine the next steps. This is the first time all three missing children have been sighted together, and police said this will be welcome news for the children's wider family.

Phillips and his three children were reported missing by family on January 18, 2022, from their home in Marokopa. In June 2024, police offered an NZ$80,000 reward for information that would lead to finding and safely returning the children. That same month, the children's mother released a video appealing to the public for help in bringing her children home.

"Today I stand here to plead for your help to bring my children home," she said in the video posted on Facebook. "They are just innocent children, they don't deserve this, they shouldn't be living the life they are living," she added. Police continue to urge residents in the Marokopa community to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.