The mother of three children who disappeared with their fugitive father three years ago fears her daughter may have let out a subtle cry for help when they were spotted in New Zealand bushland last week.

Tom Phillips and his children – Jayda, 11, Maverick, 9, and Ember, 8 – have been missing since September 2021.

After returning home briefly later that month, they disappeared again in December and have been living off-grid ever since.

In a recent update, teenage pig hunters spotted the family walking on a remote coastal farm near Marokopa on October 3.

All four were dressed in camouflage and carrying large backpacks as Phillips walked ahead of the children.

One of the hunters remembered a brief conversation with Jayda, which the mother has now interpreted as a plea.

When the teens shouted, Jayda responded with “Yeah… duh” and said only the hunters knew they were there.

‘Is that a cry for help? Is that ‘Does anyone know we’re here? Is someone coming for us?’” Cat told Mata Reports in an emotional interview.

“It’s like she’s trying to say something without actually saying it because her dad is there. And she worries if she says the wrong thing and phrases it the wrong way, and she worries about the consequences later on.”

This sighting was the first time Cat had seen images of her children in almost three years.

She said she was relieved to see them alive, but deeply concerned about their condition after years of isolation.

“It was really good, they had their own stuff with them, it’s the best news anyone could hope for,” she continued.

“I can’t imagine what they’ve been through in these three years, it’s just wrong on so many levels.”

Police responded to the area that night and two helicopters were deployed, including a military helicopter equipped with night vision.

The observation has been described by researchers as giving rise to “a positive line of inquiry”.

“Patrols began in the area on Thursday evening and a search was launched the following morning,” Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders said.

“Although nothing further of significance has been found, investigators can now access the information collected to determine any next steps.

“This is the first time all three children have been sighted, which is positive information, and we know it will be reassuring to the children’s wider family.”

But Cat says she was frustrated by their response because authorities only contacted her the day after the images were reported.

“The system has failed my children miserably,” she added. ‘They shouldn’t have to live like this. They deserve friends, parks and McDonald’s.”

Phillips is also wanted for questioning in connection with an armed robbery at a bank in Te Kuiti, with CCTV footage showing him on a motorbike.

Despite several unverified sightings, the recent images are considered the most credible clue yet.

In June, an $80,000 reward was offered for information leading to the children’s whereabouts, but it expired after eight weeks with no breakthrough.

Despite more than forty significant observations, Cat struggles with guilt and helplessness, while still hoping for the return of her children. “

I just want my babies to come home,” she said.

Police focus on ‘safe return’

Police are remaining tight-lipped about what their next steps are “for operational reasons.”

“While we cannot go into detail, we would like to reassure the public that we have the resources to respond to any information or reports of sightings that come in.

“Our focus is very much on the safe return of Jayda, Maverick and Ember to their whānau (the Māori word for family) and we are doing everything we can to make that possible.”

Shortly after he disappeared in late 2021, an arrest warrant was issued for Phillips. He is also wanted for allegedly robbing a bank in Te Kuiti at gunpoint in May 2023.

A few months after that, police say, he was seen in disguise at a supermarket before getting into an argument with a member of the public and allegedly stealing a car.

Police believe Phillips and one of the children smashed the front window of a store before stealing a bicycle in November last year.

The public has been warned not to approach him if he is spotted as he may be armed.