Armed police are searching for the children of fugitive Tom Phillips in the King Country settlement of Marokopa. Police cars and vans have been everywhere, with cordons set up on Marokopa and Mangatoa roads, the only way in and out of the town. The Eagle helicopter was called in on Wednesday, and the extra police presence and media attention on Marokopa have been a “nuisance” for locals. Phillips and his three children have been missing for two-and-a-half years.
Police arrived on Wednesday after issuing an $80,000 reward for information that could lead them to the children. Officers have set up four cordons and are checking everyone entering and leaving the community. Tipoffs about the family have been coming in since the reward was announced on Tuesday, but police have not yet revealed how useful they have been.
The hotel manager near Tirau reported a potential sighting of Phillips and his children in the thermal pools at the Okoroire Hot Springs Hotel, but the manager did not see Phillips, his children, or his staff. The children, Ember, Maverick, and Jayda, have been missing since December 2021, when Phillips took them to an unknown location. Phillips does not have legal custody of the children, and there is a warrant for his arrest.
