Police are once again combing through the Marokopa area of Waikato after receiving a tip-off as to the whereabouts of fugitive Tom Phillips and his three children, nearly three years since they vanished into the dark Marokopa night.
Acting Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders said in a statement: "Police are conducting enquiries in the wider Marokopa area today after a reported sighting of Tom Phillips and his three children Ember, Maverick, and Jayda Phillips”.
The Herald reports that a group of pig hunters thought they saw Phillips and his children in bushland near Marokopa and reported it to police on Thursday.
“A visible Police presence will be in the area while this is ongoing,” Saunders said.
Police shared little else about this morning’s development.
The disappearance has been the subject of national discussion and debate, with Phillips sought in connection with multiple charges since the disappearance in December 2021.
Police believed he took them to an isolated part of western Waikato following a dispute with their mother, but at one point, hadn’t ruled out he could be anywhere in Aotearoa.
Earlier this year, the children’s mother, Cat, made a heartfelt plea for their return.
In May 2023, Phillips was accused of a violent bank robbery in Te Kūiti, where he allegedly injured a supermarket worker and was found in possession of an illegal firearm.
A year later, in June 2024, authorities announced an $80,000 reward for any details that could help find and safely return the three children, now aged eleven, nine, and eight.