Followers of an insane missing persons case in New Zealand have been blown away to learn that a father and his three children - who were spotted in the wilderness this week after disappearing in 2021 - had vanished once before.
Tom Phillips and his kids Jayda, 11, Maverick, 9, and Ember, 8, disappeared into thin air three years ago following a dispute at their family home, leaving his wife and their mother Cat both devastated and confused.
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This week, however, the missing foursome were photographed by local hunters stalking their home-region's bushlands, revealing they'd been living off the landscape this entire time.
Following the blindsiding news that Tom and his children had previously ran away from home before and survived in the wild for 18 days, spectators are now further dumbfounded.
Here, we unpack a timeline of the bizarre events leading up to and beyond the Phillips family disappearance in a bid to determine what sparked their move.
September 2021
Three years before being seen walking in the wild, the Phillips' family disappeared for just under three weeks, leaving mum, Cat , terrified.
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On 11 September 2021, Tom and his children were last seen with her at their farm in Marakopa.
Days later, their Toyota Hilux was found parked at the nearby Kiritehere Beach below the tide line, with waves crashing against the car doors.
An extensive search of the area was launched, which included a plane, helicopter, jetski, inflatable rescue boat and heat-detecting drones.
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Yet, three weeks later, the foursome were nowhere to be found.
It wasn't until Tom and his children returned to their farm on 30 September that year that the search was called off, after he claimed the brood had been living in a tent in some dense bushland nearby.
Due to the colossal cost of the investigation, Phillips was subsequently charged with causing wasteful deployment of personnel and resources.
A court case was set to 12 January, having been postponed due to Covid.
December 2021
Less than three months later, Tom and his children disappeared once more.
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On 9 December that year, a second search and rescue operation was launched by local police, who told press they'd 'continue to monitor and regularly reassess the situation'.
January 2022
Upon the families failure to appear in court, a warrant for Tom's arrest was issued.
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His lawyer told the authorities that he hadn't heard from him in the weeks since Cat last saw him.
Tom's ute was subsequently found by police parked near the nearby Mangatoa Track - known for walking and rambling - yet officers scanning the surrounding area found no trace of the Phillips'.
February 2022
On 9 February - exactly two months after being seen in public for the last time - Tom returned to the home of a family member in order to pick up some supplies.
He didn't have his children with him, however - yet according to family, he assured them that the children were safe.
"He did not disclose where they were living," commander Inspector Will Loughrin told press.
The foursome wouldn't then be seen again for over a year.
August 2023
Tom and his children were reportedly sighted by members of the public several times in the 18 months since he stopped for supplies.
Three different witnesses claimed they'd seen him driving a stolen Toyota Hilux in a nearby area.
In a photo taken on 4 August, the father-of-three was spotted shopping at a nearby shopping centre, wearing a surgical mask in an attempt to disguise himself.
The stolen car was recovered the same day.
Four days later, four bikes were spotted by police several miles away from the shopping centre, possibly belonging to the family.
September 2023
An alleged bank robbery in another nearby town was linked to Tom Phillips by police, after two individuals were seen escaping on a motorbike.
"Recent developments in our ongoing inquiries have led police to charge Mr Phillips with aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding and unlawfully possessing a firearm," Acting Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders told press on 5 September.
November 2023
The family have been spotted (YouTube/1News)
Two months later, police launched an appear for sightings of a quad bike they believed to have been stolen by either Tom or one of his kids.
In CCTV footage which was later apprehended, two individuals could be seen breaking through the showroom window before fleeing when the alarm was activated.
June 2024
An appeal for information was issued on 11 June the following year in a bid to guarantee the children's safety, and an $80,000 reward was promised.
DI Saunders explained at the time: "We believe that Tom and the children are being assisted, and we're urging anyone who's doing this to please stop, do the right thing and tell police what you know.
"We are committed to finding these children, and we're willing to take the step of offering a reward if it proves the tipping point to help people put the children's welfare first."
Despite around 50 witnesses providing information, the police failed to bag a breakthrough in the case.
Later that month, Cat Phillips also released a heartbreaking statement on what would have been her eldest daughter's 11th birthday.
"I’m standing here before you today, begging you for your help to bring my babies home," she said at the time.
"They are just innocent children. They do not deserve to be treated this way. They do not deserve the life that is being provided to them right now."
October 2024
The story of Tom Phillips and his children's disappearance has once again hit global headlines this week after the missing foursome were spotted clad in camouflage and carrying hefty rucksacks on their backs as they walked single-file through the wilderness.
In pictures shared, Tom is seen around 10metres in front of his children.
The group of 16-year-old hunters that captured the images told press that they'd called out to the family, believing them to be poachers hiding on private property.
When the hunters called out to the Phillips', only the oldest child, Jayda, replied.
"I said, 'This is private property'," one witness recalled. "And she was like, 'Yeah... duh'."
"Then I asked, 'Does anyone know you're on here?' and she said, 'No, just you guys'."
The trio's mother Cat now believes this may have been a sign that her daughter was in need of help.
"Is that 'Does anybody know that we're here? Is anyone coming for us?'," she asked Mata Reports this week during a tearful appearance.
"We don't get to hear the tone of her voice but to me, that's what I think.
"It's like she's trying to say something without actually saying something because her father is right there, and she's worried if she says the wrong thing and words it the wrong way, she's worried about later repercussions."
Topics: Crime, News, World News
Rhianna Benson