Four figures walking in single file, bags on their backs, in the green hills of the North Island. The images are not clear, but New Zealand authorities consider them credible. They appear to show Tom Philipps and his three children: Jayda, 11, Maverick, 9, and Ember, 8. The father and his offspring disappeared from the town of Marokopa in December 2021, and investigators believe the family has been living in the wilderness ever since. Over the years, hundreds of unverified reports were made to police, always about Tom Philipps, never about the three children.
The video that interests the authorities was filmed by pig hunters last Thursday. It gave rise to extensive research in the region, which has so far yielded no results. The children’s mother recognized them in these images. “I’m happy they’re all here. I am so relieved to see my three babies. They are all alive,” Catherine told the New Zealand Herald (editor’s note: she wishes to withhold her last name).
For their part, the investigators think they are on the right track: “They will now evaluate the information collected in order to determine the next steps. “This is the first time all three children have been seen, which is positive information, and we know it will reassure the family,” said Inspector Andrew Saunders, Criminal Investigation Officer.
Tom Philipps and his three children, who lived on a farm in Marokapa, disappeared for the first time on September 11, 2021. After 18 days of desperate searching, while their family believed them to be dead, the four finally returned home after spending three weeks in a tent in the bush. Three months later, again: the father and his children disappeared again, this time never to return. Tom Philipps failed to appear in court in January 2022, while being prosecuted for waste of police resources. He is also suspected of having committed an armed robbery in a bank in September 2023.
Police believe the individual is receiving assistance in his escape. Catherine is worried about the health of her children. “Ember has asthma, just like me, and she needs medical attention. Many of you say that the children are doing well and are well taken care of. How do you know? Have you seen them? What Thomas is doing is not acceptable. (…) It’s neglect, abandonment, mistreatment. My babies deserve better,” she protested last June.
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