Marokopa fugitive Tom Phillips: Police issue statement following former inspector’s offer for help

• Police are not ruling out further charges for fugitive father Tom Phillips, missing with his children.
• Former police inspector Lance Burdett offered to help negotiate an end to the search.
• Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders expressed concern for the children’s welfare, living in isolation for three years.

Police are not ruling out further charges for fugitive father Tom Phillips, and have acknowledged “varying perspectives” on the missing family following a former inspector’s offer to help.

Former police inspector Lance Burdett made a public offer to help negotiate an ending to the years-long hunt for Tom Phillips and his three children, missing in the bush around Marokopa.

The former police negotiator told the Herald: “It’s one father to another trying to resolve what’s become a deadlock. That’s the line I’m going down”.

Police did not respond to questions about whether they would accept Burdett’s offer, but Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders released a statement.

“We acknowledge that there are varying perspectives on this missing person investigation.

“Police remain focused on the location and safe return of the Phillips children.

“We have concerns for the welfare of the children who have been living in isolation for coming up three years, with no connection to others and without formal education and health care.”

Ember, Maverick and Jayda Phillips have been missing since December 12, 2021, police said, after they were taken by their father, Tom Phillips, to a location unknown in the Western Waikato/Marokopa area.

Phillips was charged by police with aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding and unlawfully possessing a firearm following a robbery in Te Kuiti in May 2023.

“Police are not ruling out further charges in relation to other offences that we believe Tom has been responsible for during the time that he has been in hiding.

“Tom is obviously incredibly motivated to keep himself and the children out of mainstream society, and appears willing to go to great lengths to do so,” Saunders said.

Police were taking a “very careful approach” considering they believe Phillips is armed and could pose a threat to himself, the children, police and the public.

Former Police negotiator Lance Burdett says he would love a chance to negotiate an ending to the years-long hunt for Tom Phillips and his three children. Photo / Todd Eyre

Burdett said it would be beneficial to have someone who had been through a lot, like himself, and who would understand what it was like to come back to the real world.

“It’s not about me, it’s about getting a safe ending,” Burdett told the Herald.

“It seems like some people say I am doing this for the highlights. That’s not what this is about. I’ve got plenty of other things to do.

”That’s the only way it’s going to be resolved.”

Many have questioned why the missing family have still not been found, with some calling for the military to be brought in to find Phillips and his three children.

“The area surrounding Marokopa is a challenging area to search.

“While we cannot provide operational detail about searches undertaken, we want to reassure the public that we have the resources in place to respond to any information or reports of sightings that come in,” Saunders said.

Burdett told 1News a skilled and neutral negotiator could approach whoever in the Marakopa community was helping Phillips.

“It’s somebody with a delicate touch.”

Waitomo District Mayor John Robertson told 1News there had been no indication Phillips wanted to come out of the bush and surrender.

“If someone with some mana could help bring this to an end, that would be the best solution we could get.”

Last month’s bombshell sighting was the first of Phillips and all three children since they disappeared in December 2021.

Phillips has remained on the run despite pleas from Jayda, Maverick and Ember’s mum Cat, an increased police presence around Marokopa in June, and the now expired offer of an $80,000 reward for information leading to the family’s safe return.

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An arrest warrant was first issued for Phillips on December 9, 2021, after he failed to appear before court on a charge of wasting police resources.

The charge was laid after the then-34 year old vanished with his kids from a beach near Marokopa in September 2021 — the discovery of his ute on the shoreline sparking a major land and sea search — before returning almost three weeks later, saying he needed “time out”.

Since the latest disappearance, Phillips is alleged to have been involved in several crimes, including robbing an ANZ bank and shooting at a supermarket worker in Te Kūiti in May last year — leading police to charge him with aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding and unlawfully possessing a firearm.

Information can be provided to the police investigation team by emailing the dedicated email address op.curly@police.govt.nz or by contacting the 105 reporting line or online at 105.police.govt.nz clicking ‘Update Report’ and quoting the file number 211218/5611.

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