TOM Phillips is a father-of-three who has been on the run with his children since December 2021.
He vanished along with his kids and failed to appear at a court date the following month.
Tom Phillips lived in Ōtorohanga before disappearing
Tom vanished with his three children Jayda (left), Ember (middle) and Maverick (right)
This was the second time that the children had disappeared with their father, after vanishing for nearly a month in September 2021.
Tom and his children lived in Marokopa, New Zealand, and the children were home-schooled before they disappeared.
He is separated from his wife Catherine, who has not seen her shildren since 2021.
The first disappearance
Tom disappeared for the first time with his children Jayda, Maverick and Ember on September 11, 2021.
His Toyota Hilux, was found parked below the tideline at Kiritehere Beach.
Initially, the authorities believed that the family had been swept out to sea.
A search involving drones, a plane, a helicopter and a jet-ski was launched but the investigation was suspended on September 24.
Then, Tom and his children were sighted in a shock appearance on September 30, riding bikes before they simply returned home.
The father claimed they had just been on a camping trip.
As the search for the family was so costly, Phillips was charged with wasting police time and ordered to appear in court on January 12, 2022.
The second disappearance
Tom failed to turn up for his court appearance and was reported missing on January 18, 2022.
It was soon revealed that he had disappeared with his three children on December 9, 2021.
He was seen again on February 9, 2022, when he returned home for supplies but did not disclose where his dependants were.
Tom has been known to disguise his appearance with a surgical mask
Tom has been occasionally seen on CCTV after his disappearance
In September 2023, Tom was charged in connection to an armed bank robbery in Te Kūiti which he conducted in May.
In June 2024, police offered a $80,000 reward for information that led to the children’s return in two weeks.
The police, the mayor of Ōtorohanga, and the mother of the three children said that they believe Tom is receiving additional support to survive.
An October sighting
On October 3, 2024, Tom was spotted with Ember, Jayda and Maverick by a group of pig farmers.
The swine farmers called 111, the emergency number in New Zealand, but the police could not find the family.
Tom, who has been dubbed The Bushman, has been said to possess a gun, which is why the farmers did not approach the family.