Phillips Family Sighting: Mother Believes Daughter’s Question Was a Cry for Help

For nearly three years, New Zealand has followed the extraordinary case of Tom Phillips and his three missing children — Jayda, 12, Maverick, 10, and Ember, 9. The family vanished into the Marokopa bush in 2021, evading police while sparking one of the country’s most haunting manhunts.

Now, their mother has spoken out, convinced that a chilling question asked during a rare sighting of the children was a carefully disguised plea for help.

The Encounter in the Bush

Last Thursday, a group of pig hunters near Awamarino in Waikato stumbled across a figure they quickly recognized: a man carrying a gun, trailed by three children in wet-weather gear and camouflage backpacks. All wore masks.

The hunters, stunned, captured video footage of the group from 20 to 30 metres away. The footage shows them trekking through rugged, overgrown terrain before disappearing behind a hill.

Police later confirmed the sighting was “credible.” Patrols began that evening, and a full search was launched the following day, lasting three days with air support. Yet despite the intensity of the effort, authorities found nothing. The wilderness had once again swallowed the Phillips family whole.

A Chilling Question

What sets this sighting apart from previous reports, however, is not just the video footage. It was the interaction between one of the children — believed to be Jayda — and the 16-year-old pig hunter who briefly engaged with the group.

According to the hunter, one of the children looked at him and asked: “Who knows we’re here?”

For many, it may have sounded like an innocent question. But for the children’s mother, Cat, it was a coded cry.

A Plea for Help

Speaking exclusively to journalist Mihingarangi Forbes on Mata Reports, Cat said she is convinced the child was her eldest daughter, Jayda.

“She was raising attention while knowing she had to be careful of her dad’s reaction,” Cat explained. “Jayda was asking: ‘Does anyone know we are here? Is anyone coming for us?’”

To Cat, the meaning is clear: Jayda was trying to signal distress while protecting herself and her siblings from their father’s control.

“It’s her way of saying she wants to be found,” she said. “It breaks my heart that she had to put it that way.”

Years on the Run

Tom Phillips disappeared with his children in late 2021 amid an alleged custody dispute. Since then, the family has reportedly lived off-grid in the dense King Country wilderness, surviving with the help of temporary campsites and, at times, suspected theft.

Police and locals have reported rare sightings: shadowy figures in the bush, stolen goods linked to the family, and occasional CCTV footage that suggested Phillips ventured into nearby towns with at least one of the children.

Despite multiple operations, including air searches and patrols, the family has remained elusive. Authorities believe Phillips frequently relocates, avoiding detection by never staying in one place for long.

The Toll on the Mother

For Cat, each sighting is both a lifeline and a fresh wound. She has not seen her children in person for years, relying instead on secondhand reports and fleeting images captured by strangers.

Her interview revealed the emotional toll of living in limbo. “As a mother, you know your children’s voices, their words, their intentions,” she said. “When I heard what Jayda said, I knew it was her way of crying out without crossing her father.”

Cat insists she will not stop fighting for their safe return. “I know they’re out there, and I know they need me,” she said.

Police Under Pressure

The latest sighting has once again raised questions about how authorities are handling the case. Police began patrols the night of the encounter but did not launch a full-scale search until the following day. Critics argue that the delay may have given Phillips crucial time to relocate the children deeper into the bush.

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers defended the approach, citing the dangers of the terrain and the need to gather intelligence before risking confrontation, particularly given reports that Phillips was carrying a firearm.

“This is a very challenging situation,” Chambers said. “Our priority is the safety of the children and our staff.”

A Nation Captivated

The Phillips case has gripped New Zealand, sparking national debates about custody, parental responsibility, and the limits of police power. Each new development ignites public interest — and public frustration — as many demand answers about why three children remain missing after so long.

For now, the latest sighting has brought both hope and heartbreak. Hope, because the children are alive and seen. Heartbreak, because their words suggest they may be yearning for rescue, trapped in a life they cannot control.

The Bottom Line

The haunting question — “Who knows we’re here?” — lingers like an echo through the Waikato bush. For Cat, it was not just a question but a message, a brave attempt by her daughter to reach out under impossible circumstances.

As police renew their patrols and New Zealand holds its breath, one thing is clear: until Jayda, Maverick, and Ember are safely returned, every sighting, every word, and every tearful interview will deepen the urgency of this unfolding tragedy.