A mother has made a heartbreaking plea after her son took his three daughters and vanished into the wilderness for four years.
Tom Phillips vanished in December 2021 from Marokopa, New Zealand, taking his children Jayda, now 12, Maverick, 10, and Ember, 9, into the wilderness, per the Telegraph.
Since then, the family has lived completely off-grid, surfacing only in rare, fleeting sightings.
The most recent confirmed appearance came in October 2024, when two teenage hunters spotted the group trekking through remote coastal farmland.
The teens captured video of Phillips, carrying a gun and sporting a long beard, while the children - dressed in camouflage and carrying their own heavy packs - walked alongside him.
For the first time in nearly four years, Phillips’ own family has gone public with appeals for him to come home. His mother, Julia, penned a handwritten letter begging her son to return, as reported by BBC News.
“Every day I wake up and hope that today will be the day that you all come home,” she wrote.
Addressing her son directly, she added: “Tom – I feel really sad that you thought you had to do this. Not considering how much we love you and can support you. It hurts every time I see photos of the children and of you and see some of your stuff that is still here.”
She also had a message for her grandchildren: “Jayda, Maverick, Ember – I love you so much and really miss being part of your lives.”
Tom’s sister, Rozzi, echoed the call, speaking to Stuff: “There’s a lot of love and there’s a lot of support, and we’re ready to help you walk through what you need to walk through. I miss you, and I miss being part of your life, and I really want to see you and the kids and be part of your lives again.”
Rozzi suggested her brother, a skilled builder with outdoor survival training, may have built a “nest” or hut in the bush to keep his children safe.
“I don’t believe that he would have the children suffering,” she said, recalling their childhood hunting trips and his wilderness training at St Paul’s Collegiate School’s Tihoi programme.
Meanwhile, the children’s mother, Catherine, has also spoken out after the October sighting, calling the footage “the best news that anybody could hope for.”
But she broke down in tears over her daughter’s brief exchange with the hunters, which she interpreted as a possible coded cry for help.
When the teenagers confronted the group for trespassing, Jayda reportedly answered, “Yeah… duh,” and when asked if anyone knew they were there, she said: “No, just you guys.”
Catherine later asked: “Is that a cry for help? Is that ‘Does anybody know that we’re here? Is anyone coming for us?’ It’s like she’s trying to say something without actually saying it because her father is right there.”
Authorities have been searching for Phillips and the children since their disappearance, with more than 40 unverified sightings reported.
Police have also raised concerns about Phillips’ activities while on the run. In 2023, a warrant was issued for his arrest in connection with a bank robbery in Te Kuiti, where he was reportedly armed and had an accomplice.
Authorities caution the public not to approach Phillips if spotted, as he may be dangerous, and believe that supporters have aided him in the tight-knit rural community, per 1News.
In June 2024, police even offered an $80,000 reward for information leading to the safe return of the children.