Flee into New Zealand desert after altercation • Believed to be armed • One million reward
On Christmas 2021, Tom Phillips took his three children with him after an argument with the children’s mother – and disappeared.
Now they have been captured on film after almost three years, The Guardian reports.
– I am so relieved to see all three of my darlings, says the mother.
A chance encounter with some teenage pig hunters became the beginning of the end of a nearly three-year mystery.
After an argument with his children’s mother during Christmas 2021, New Zealander Tom Phillips took all three children with him and fled into the Waikato desert. 19 days later they were found on his parents’ farm – only to disappear again.
Filmed and alerted the police
Since then, they have virtually disappeared without a trace, until last Thursday, The Guardian reports.
When the pig hunters saw a man and three children, they started filming and the police quickly launched a large search operation in the area.
Despite the effort, they have not been seen since, but the mother is relieved to know they are alive.
– I am so happy that they are all there, she says according to The Guardian.
Reward issued
According to the police, Tom Phillips does not have custody of the children, who are now eight, nine and eleven years old, and a reward of around one million Swedish kronor has already been issued.
He is said to have been armed with a gun at the time last Thursday and the children were masked.
Last year, a warrant was issued for Phillips’ arrest following an alleged aggravated robbery.
The police suspect that he and the children are being helped to hide, and have urged everyone involved to “do the right thing and contact the police”.