One of the most difficult things that a parent can go through is to lose their child. Sometimes, it is due to death and at other times, it is because of another unfortunate event.
On December 9, 2021, something unusual happened in New Zealand and it would go on to break a mother’s heart. A man by the name of Tom Phillips and his three children—Jayda, Maverick, and Ember disappeared and it seemed as if they would never be found again.
Although they had disappeared on that day, they were on a camping trip earlier in the year and went missing for about 19 days. Phillips got in trouble for wasting police resources and on January 12, he was set to go into court again.
It was just a few weeks before then that he disappeared along with his children. He did come home on February 9 and said that the children were safe, but no other details were given.
Fast forward to August 2023, and Phillips was seen stealing a Toyota helix in Hamilton. He was trying his best to be sneaky but video caught him shopping and people were questioning what he was doing.
It even got worse when he had been linked to a bank robbery and one of his children was used as an accomplice! At some point in the future, pig hunters came across the family and things got even more difficult.
Why did he take the children and run? Some people feel as if he was paranoid and protecting the children from some imaginary threat. Phillips didn’t want to answer any questions, so the mystery just got even deeper.
He always seem to fall through the cracks in some way or another but after he showed up in August, the children’s safety came into question even more. Every time he was cited people wondered, what was he afraid of him why was he on the run?
When the mother, Cat heard about the pig hunters finding the family, she got a brief moment of hope. She spoke about the relief that she felt when she realized that her children were not dead.
She said: “I’m so happy that they’re all there. I’m so relieved to see all three of my babies.” After all, it was the first time the children had all been seen alive since they disappeared.
After the pig hunters all the family, the police were told and another manhunt got started. Phillips managed to disappear once again, and now the entire nation seems to be watching.
We hope that things are able to be resolved on this very difficult case.