The desperate search for a father and his three young children continues to grip New Zealand, two years after they vanished into the wilderness in an act of extreme anti-establishment defiance.
Tom Phillips, then 34, disappeared with his children Jayda, then 9, Maverick, then 6, and Ember, then 5, from the remote coastal settlement of Marokopa in the Waikato region in December 2021. Despite a massive land and air search and numerous reported sightings, their whereabouts remain a profound mystery.
A Father's Radical Beliefs and Final Acts
Before vanishing, Phillips' behaviour grew increasingly erratic and conspiratorial. He expressed vehement distrust towards the New Zealand government, banks, and media. In a series of ominous actions, he withdrew vast sums of money—believed to be over $100,000—from the family's bank accounts and sold off a property.
His final communications to family members were not cries for help, but declarations of intent. He sent texts outlining his deep-seated belief that society was on the brink of collapse and stated his plan to take the children off-grid to survive what he called the 'end of the world'.
The Agonising Wait for a Family
Left behind in a nightmare of uncertainty is the children's mother and Phillips' estranged partner, who has made heartfelt public appeals for their safe return. The wider family clings to the hope that the children are alive but live with the daily torment of not knowing their condition or if they are even still in New Zealand.
‘We just want to know they are safe,’ a family member stated. ‘The not knowing is the hardest part. We miss them every single day.’
A Complex and Challenging Investigation
New Zealand Police have treated the case with utmost seriousness, dedicating thousands of hours to the investigation. Detective Inspector Will Loughrin, who is leading the inquiry, has stated that finding the children is their absolute priority.
The investigation has been hampered by the rugged, dense bushland surrounding Marokopa, an area with which Phillips was intimately familiar. Police have pursued over 340 leads and reported sightings from the public, but each has ultimately led to a dead end. The possibility that Phillips has received help to remain hidden or may have even left the country has not been ruled out.
As the second anniversary of their disappearance passes, the plea from both police and family remains the same: for anyone with information, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, to come forward. The search for Jayda, Maverick, and Ember Phillips is far from over.
