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The mystery of the disappearing dad and children
A New Zealand father and his three kids disappeared in 2021. They seem to have gone off the grid but there are concerns about the safety of the children and if the father is dangerous.
It’s been more than two years since Thomas Phillips disappeared with his three children in New Zealand.
In June 2024, authorities announced that they were offering a reward of 80,000 New Zealand dollars and immunity from prosecution to anyone who can help with their search.
The 2021 disappearance of the family has baffled investigators and the country.
Who is Thomas Phillips?
Phillips is believed to be on the run after allegedly robbing a bank and leaving a trail of turmoil in his wake.
He is accused of randomly shooting at a supermarket employee, stealing a ute vehicle and a quad bike, as well as attempting to break into a shop, according to the New Zealand Herald.
Phillips fled after the alleged robbery with his three children, Jayda, Ember, and Maverick.
Phillips’ children are 8, 9 and 10 years old and he no longer has legal custody rights over them, Acting Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders said.
Images of Thomas Phillips and his three children. (Credit: New Zealand Police)
Where was he last seen?
Investigators believe Phillips fled somewhere in the Waikato bush in December 2021.
And in June, police were searching in the Marokopa settlement in King Country after reports of an alleged sighting, according to Radio New Zealand.
Phillips’ previous disappearances
This is not the first time Phillips disappeared with his children.
In September 2021, the family went missing which prompted a 3-week land and sea search after Phillips’ car was found abandoned on a wild beach near his residence.
Authorities eventually ended the search and concluded the family might have died. However, Phillips and his children eventually emerged from a dense forest where he said they were camping.
He was charged with wasting police time and resources and was supposed to appear in court in January 2022 but weeks before his scheduled court appearance, he disappeared with his children again.
The police did not immediately launch a search because Phillips, who is experienced in the outdoors, had told family he was taking the children on another trip. He never returned.
It was believed that maybe Phillips and his children moved elsewhere in New Zealand and changed their names.
But authorities began to search for the family after several sightings of Phillips in 2023 in the same area where he vanished, as well as the alleged bank robbery.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.