New Zealand missing family case updates

Tom Phillips vanished with Ember nine, Maverick ten and Jayda twelve during a custody dispute in December 2021, and a national search continues as relatives urge his return.

New Zealand family pleads for fugitive father to return home

Tom Phillips disappeared with Ember, nine, Maverick, ten, and Jayda, twelve, from their family home during a custody dispute in December 2021. Police say a national search has been ongoing since then to locate the family and understand their whereabouts. The children were last seen in public in October last year when a group of teenagers spotted them walking through the bush and filmed a short clip.

For the first time since the disappearance, Phillips's family has appealed directly to him. His mother wrote on social media that every day she wakes hoping that the children will come home.

The case illustrates how a custody dispute can become a missing persons story that captures a nation’s attention. It raises questions about the balance between parental rights and child safety, and how authorities allocate resources in long term searches.

The October sighting and ongoing search underscore the difficulties of locating people who may be moving through remote terrain. The episode also tests how communities respond to years of uncertainty in a child welfare case.

Highlights

The case continues to unfold as search teams press on and families hold on to hope