Thomas Callam Phillips remains elusive three years after vanishing with his children
The most wanted fugitive family of New Zealand has resurfaced, three years after disappearing. Thomas Callam Phillips, along with his three children—Ember, Maverick, and Jayda—vanished in December 2021 following a family separation. In early October, the family was briefly spotted in the wild, marking the first time they have been seen together since their disappearance. The sighting occurred on a farm in Te Anga, located on New Zealand’s North Island.
A 16-year-old boy, out hunting wild pigs with a friend, encountered the fugitive family and unknowingly filmed them. Mistaking them for trespassers, the boy confronted a young girl from the group, asking if anyone knew they were on private property. She responded with a smirk and told him, “No, just you guys.”
Police efforts thwarted, fugitive family remains at large
After receiving the video, New Zealand police mobilized a helicopter equipped with heat-seeking cameras, but the search was called off after three days when no trace of the family was found. The failure to locate Phillips and his children has sparked public criticism, particularly as a $48,355 reward is on the table for information leading to their capture.
Authorities suspect Phillips is receiving help from a network of sympathizers. Private investigator Chris Budge, a former military policeman who has conducted searches for the family, believes the father is playing into “a bit of Stockholm Syndrome.”
“I don’t think he’s just a kidnapper, but I think he has taken his kids because he wants to keep hold of them,” Budge told Daily Mail. He speculated that Phillips may be telling the children, “If we go back you’ll be taken away from me, and I’ll never ever see you again.”
Fugitive father viewed as ‘Robin Hood’ by supporters
Budge suggested that Phillips has a group of misguided supporters who view him as a “Robin Hood” figure. These individuals likely provide supplies or help him evade capture, believing that Phillips is defying authorities for the sake of raising his children.
“What I think has been happening is that Tom has a little bit of a network of people who think he’s Robin Hood,” Budge said.
Calls for specialized tracking teams, including indigenous trackers and Special Forces, have increased, especially as Phillips’ daughters approach their teenage years. Budge pointed out that the girls will require supplies not easily obtained while living in the wilderness, further suggesting that the family is receiving outside assistance.
Mother loses faith in authorities
The children’s mother, Cat, has expressed frustration with the ongoing search. She no longer believes the police are capable of finding her children and suspects that local residents, many of whom have ties to Phillips’ family, are aiding him. “One hundred percent somebody is helping them. Somebody is supplying them or just inadvertently leaving things in an accessible place,” she said.
Cat also voiced concerns that her daughter might be trying to send a message through her brief interaction with the teenage boys who filmed the family. Speaking on a podcast produced by Radio New Zealand, she questioned whether her daughter’s words—”Does anybody know that we’re here?”—might have been a cry for help. “We don’t get to hear the tone of her voice, but to me, that’s what I think,” Cat said.
With each passing day, the mystery deepens, leaving New Zealand authorities grappling with public criticism as they continue their efforts to locate the elusive family.