The mother of three children who went missing with their fugitive father three years ago is now worried about their safety after they were spotted in a New Zealand forest last week. Kat Phillips fears her daughter may have issued a subtle plea for help when a group of teenage pig hunters confronted her family on a remote coastal farm near Marokopa on October 3.
Tom Phillips, along with his children – Jayda, 11, Maverick, 9, and Amber, 8 – have been missing since September 2021. Initially failing to appear in court on minor charges, Tom’s situation escalates dramatically when he is linked to a bank robbery in May 2023. Despite intensive search efforts by helicopter and ground teams, the family remains elusive. The most recent sighting occurred on October 3, when a teenage hunter filmed Tom Phillips and his children while hunting in Marokopa, a rural secluded area. The sighting provided a ray of hope for their mother, Kat, who has not seen her children since their disappearance.
During the encounter, all four were wearing camouflage clothing and carrying large backpacks, while Tom was walking ahead of the children. One of the hunters recalled a brief conversation with Jayda, who responded, “Yeah… oh,” and indicated that only the hunters knew they were there. Ms. Cat interpreted this as a possible call for help, questioning whether her daughter was asking, “Does anyone know we’re here? Is anyone coming for us?”
“It seems like she’s trying to say something without actually saying it because her dad is right there,” Kat Phillips told Mother Reports. “If she says the wrong thing and says it in the wrong way, she’s worried, she’s worried about the consequences later.”
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Following the sighting, police deployed helicopters, including a military helicopter equipped with night vision, to the area. Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders said the scene led to “positive enquiries”. However, Kat expressed disappointment at the response of authorities, saying that they contacted him only the day after the footage was reported. “The system has failed my children miserably,” he said. “They should not live like this. They deserve friends, parks and McDonald’s.”
Police have offered a reward of 80,000 New Zealand dollars (about Rs 40 lakh) to anyone giving information about the children.
