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Missing Marokopa family: Police won’t extend deadline for $80,000 reward

Author
RNZ,
Publish Date
Fri, 21 Jun 2024, 11:05am

Missing Marokopa family: Police won’t extend deadline for $80,000 reward

Author
RNZ,
Publish Date
Fri, 21 Jun 2024, 11:05am

Police won鈥檛 extend the deadline for the $80,000 reward for information on a听missing Marokopa man听and his three children.

Ember, Maverick and Jayda Phillips have been听missing since December 12, 2021, when they were taken by their father, Tom Phillips, to an unknown location, thought by police to be in Western Waikato, within Marokopa or the surrounding areas.

Police were working through more than 40 pieces of information as the deadline for the听$80,000 reward听ends on Tuesday.

Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders told Radion NZ鈥檚听Morning Report听they had not received the 鈥済old nugget鈥 that led them directly to the children.

Jayda, Ember and Maverick Callum-Phillips. The three children and their father Tom Phillips have been missing since December 2021. Photo / NZ PoliceJayda, Ember and Maverick Callum-Phillips. The three children and their father Tom Phillips have been missing since December 2021. Photo / NZ Police

Saunders said听information continued to come through daily听including alleged sightings, suspicious activity and certain types of offences that had happened in the area of interest.

鈥淲e鈥檝e got some good follow-ups to do but that might take a number of weeks.鈥

Investigators were still hoping to hear from the people they believe are helping the family stay hidden, he said.

The reward was deliberately set for two weeks to target those people.

鈥淚f they鈥檙e not going to come forward in that two weeks they鈥檙e probably never going to come forward.

鈥淥nce the reward is finished we鈥檝e still got a considerable amount of work and inquiries to continue with.鈥

Saunders said a letter released on听social media by the children鈥檚 mother听was of no interest to the investigation as it was received well before they went missing.

Maverick, Jayda and Ember Phillips with their mother Cat. Maverick, Jayda and Ember Phillips with their mother Cat.

But her appeals to the public, along with the reward offer, had 鈥渞eignited鈥 the public response.

鈥淲ith a steady flow of information, that鈥檚 what鈥檚 always helpful to us.鈥

- RNZ

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