Vanishing act still to be solved

The whereabouts of Tom Phillips and his three children remains a mystery as it ticks over to a year since they were last seen.

There was one reported sighting of Phillips earlier this year, but no one has seen Jayda, Maverick and Ember since December 9, 2021.

The family of the three primary-aged children are now offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to their safe return.

A Givealittle page began in September to raise money for a reward, and on Wednesday night the family said in a Facebook post the public had donated $4598.40 towards their goal of $10,000.

‘‘As a family we have been able to gather the remainder. The money will be offered for any information leading to the safe return of these three children,’’ the post said.

The children were last seen at their grandparents’ farm near Marokopa in the Waitomo area.

A warrant to arrest Phillips was issued when he failed to appear in Te Kūiti District Court in January on a charge of wasting police time and resources in relation to the family’s first disappearance in September 2021.

A search for Phillips and his children has been going on ever since.

Red flags were first raised on September 11 last year when Phillips’ ute was found abandoned at Kiritehere Beach, facing the waves and with the keys under the driver’s seat mat.

The family spent 17 days in Marokopa’s dense bush, but weren’t found despite a police-led land, sea and air search.

Phillips disappeared again in December and did not reappear for Christmas or his court appearance.

Police have said the missing family could be anywhere in the country, and might be using fake names.

The only sightings police know of have been of his ute left parked on Mangatoa Rd near the Mangatoa track in late January.

And on February 9, Phillips returned to a family member’s home in the middle of the night without the children to take supplies.

Police said Phillips left the family farm under his own volition, taking his three young children with him to avoid dynamics he perceives as not good for his children.

They have followed up multiple reports of sightings of the family across New Zealand but without success.

Police said anyone helping him could face judicial ramifications.