Two years, nine months and twenty-six days.
That is how long it had been since Jayda, Maverick and Ember of Marokopa had been seen since going missing in December 2021 with their fugitive father Tom Phillips.
Footage provided to 1News shows the group tramping across Waikato farmland last Thursday.
Police said the “credible” sighting was the “first time all three children have been sighted”.
Phillips has been on the run for more than two-and-a-half years and there is a warrant for his arrest related to aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding and unlawful possession of a firearm. Phillips does not have legal custody of the children.
In the time since they went missing, a series of incidents have occurred as the 37-year-old continues to elude police.
Here is a full timeline of events:
September 2021
The four family members were last seen at their farm in Marakopa on September 11, 2021.
Their Toyota Hilux was found parked below the tide line, being battered by waves, at nearby Kiritehere Beach two days later. Police launched an extensive search operation involving a plane, helicopter, jetski, inflatable rescue boat and heat-detecting drones, but three weeks later no trace was found and daily searches were suspended.
Phillips returned home to the farm on September 30, revealing they had been living in a tent in dense bush nearby. As the search cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, police charged Phillips with causing wasteful deployment of personnel and resources. A court date of November 5 was set, which was later delayed by Covid-19 restrictions to January 12, 2022.
December 2021
Phillips disappeared with the children on December 9. A search and rescue operation was not launched by police, who said at the time they would “continue to monitor and regularly reassess the situation”.
January 2022
When Phillips failed to show for his court date on January 12, 2022, police issued a warrant for his arrest. His lawyer Garth O’Brien said his client had been advised of the court date but that he had not been in contact since then.
His ute was discovered by police in late January, left parked on Mangatoa Rd near the Mangatoa Track. Officers searched the surrounding area but there was no sign of the group.
February 2022
Phillips returned to a family member’s home in the middle of the night on February 9 to pick up supplies. He did not have the children with him. Waikato west area commander Inspector Will Loughrin said Phillips provided reassurances to his family that he and his children were well.
“However, he did not disclose where they were living.”
This would be the last time Phillips was seen for over a year.
August 2023
Police appealed for information on three sightings of Phillips driving a stolen Toyota Hilux ute in the Pokuru area near Te Awamutu and in Kawhia on August 2. Loughrin said an altercation occurred in Kawhia between Phillips and another man who recognised him which led to the person calling the police.
“This allowed us to piece a number of things together.”
A photo of Phillips shopping at a Hamilton Bunnings was released by police on August 4. He wore a surgical mask, evidently to disguise himself. The stolen ute was also recovered on August 4 near Te Anga.
It was the most credible sighting since February 2022.
Sightings of four bikes in the Marokopa area were sought by police on August 8 – a Honda 50cc motocross bike, a black Suzuki 200cc Trojan, a Honda XR 200cc and a Honda 2008 Four Trax Quad.
September 2023
Police link Tom Phillips to an alleged bank robbery that occurred in Te Kūiti in May where two people escaped on a motorbike.
On September 5, Acting Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders said: “Recent developments in our ongoing inquiries have led police to charge Mr Phillips with aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding and unlawfully possessing a firearm.”
At the time of the robbery, an eyewitness told 1News the alleged robbers were dropping money as they fled the bank. They added that a lady, who didn’t realise it was stolen, picked it up and called out to them they had dropped their money.
“The little egg ran back and snatched it out of her hand,” the bystander said.
November 2023
Police sought sightings of a quad bike believed to have been stolen by Phillips and one of his children.
CCTV appears to show the pair breaking the front window of a store in Piopio at around 2.10am on November, later fleeing when the alarm activated.
Police said the pair broke the front glass of a store in Piopio earlier this month. (Source: Supplied)
June 2024
An $80,000 reward for information leading to the location and safe return of the three missing children was announced by police on June 11.
“We believe that Tom and the children are being assisted, and we’re urging anyone who’s doing this to please stop, do the right thing and tell police what you know,” Saunders said.
“We are committed to finding these children, and we’re willing to take the step of offering a reward if it proves the tipping point to help people put the children’s welfare first.”
When the reward expired, police did not have a breakthrough yet but said there were at least 50 pieces of information that were worthy of consideration and that they still needed to follow up on.
The children’s mother Cat issued an emotional plea for information on June 18 to coincide with her daughter Jayda’s 11th birthday.
“I’m standing here before you today, begging you for your help to bring my babies home,” she said.
“They are just innocent children. They do not deserve to be treated this way. They do not deserve the life that is being provided to them right now.”
October 2024
Young pig hunters spotted Tom Phillips and his three children walking through Waikato farmland on October 4.
Footage provided to 1News on October 8 showed Phillips with Jayda, Maverick and Ember tramping behind their father, who was carrying a rifle. The group were all seen carrying large packs.
A group of pig hunters spotted the fugitive father and kids. (Source: Supplied)
John McOviney, the grandfather of one of the witnesses, said the sighting took place on Waikato’s west coast, around 3km south of Marakopa.
He said his grandson “clicked onto it” and recalled the children going missing with their father.
“You don’t see many adults with three kids walking around with packs on their back in the Marokopa area without joining the dots, do you?”
Police said this “credible” sighting was the first time all three children had been sighted.
“We know it will be reassuring for the children’s wider family,” said Saunders.
