Andrew Saunders: Detective Inspector on authorities offering an $80,000 reward to find missing Marokopa man

Authorities in Waikato have upped efforts to find the three children of missing Marokopa man Tom Phillips.

An $80,000 reward has been posted for anyone with information, with a warrant out for Phillips' arrest.

Acting Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders suspects other people are assisting Phillips - and hopes the reward and immunity will draw them out.

"That's one of the reasons why we put this reward up for a limited period of time, to encourage those people to come forward."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now, the coppers have stepped up their efforts to find
the missing Mater Corper dad Tom Phillips and his kids
by offering a reward of eighty thousand dollars for information.
Tom and his children, Jada, Maverick and Ember have now
been missing for two and a half years. The police
are also willing to consider immunity from prosecution if anyone
who has been helping Tom does come forward. Andy Saunders
is a police acting Detective inspector. Hey Andy, Hello, Andy,

(00:23):
do you reckon that there are people who know where
he is and aren't saying.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Yes? I do. That's one of the reasons we put
this reward up for a limited period of time to
encourage those people to come forward.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
What makes you so sure of that.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
On the investigation in the last two and a half years,
the information we've collected and the fact of a person
on their own with three children age between eight and ten,
they need some assistance, assistance for what everything, healthcare, food,
general well being.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
What's the limited time you've got this up for.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
It's up for a two week period. It's targeted directly
those people that have knowledge is to their whereabouts?

Speaker 1 (01:11):
Do you reckon? I mean, is this going to flip
somebody who just sort of knows roughly but isn't involved.
Do you reckon it would actually flip someone who is
actively helping.

Speaker 2 (01:21):
Well, it's a considerable amount. And if those people that
do have directcknowledge in a situation where they need that
sort of money, that they may well come forward.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
Why are you doing it now?

Speaker 2 (01:36):
Well, over the last two and a half years, we've
put a number of appeals out for information. Those appeals
that we have focused on the community, on people potentially
helping Tom, and on people that may have knowledge of
the whereabouts for the children. We haven't achieved the result
we've been hoping for it, and we feel now is
the time to offer an incentive those people.

Speaker 1 (01:59):
Would you have thought of this started this? Would you
have thought that you'd have had this wrapped up by now?

Speaker 2 (02:04):
Well, it's always our hope, but as you'd appreciate, the
environment out there is very challenging to put police on
the ground and conduct searches.

Speaker 1 (02:15):
Yeah, because there has been I mean there has been
a little bit of criticism, kind of low level, but
it's been there that police aren't doing enough and that
basically what you do you need to do is just
go in hard and fill the place. Is that not
a possibility.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
Well, one of the difficulties is that we believe Tom
Phillips to be armed and the risk of the community
and our staff, So we can't just flood the area
with massive amounts of place or search and rescue operatives.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
Hey, we learned for the first time today that he
lost custody of his kids. When did he lose custody?

Speaker 2 (02:51):
That was going through the family court. I can find
out dates. But effectively the family court has changed the
custody as of the children.

Speaker 1 (03:01):
Is that what sparked him going on the run?

Speaker 2 (03:05):
No, we don't believe so. At the time he went
on the run, he actually had custody of the children.

Speaker 1 (03:10):
Oh okay, So he's lost custody as a result of this, has.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
He Well that's the matter for the family court. But
effectively there's been here and the custody of the children
has now changed to O runner.

Speaker 1 (03:21):
Toamareki alrighty okay, listen, what is it going to take
for somebody to get immunity?

Speaker 2 (03:29):
Well, the immunity as effectively, if people are worried they
may have been committing offenses by assistant Tom. We encourage
him to come forward because our focus is not on
any offending they may have done. It's on the safe
return of the children.

Speaker 1 (03:45):
Andy, thank you for your time. I really appreciate it.
Best of luck with us as Andy Saunder's Police Acting
Detective Inspector.

Speaker 2 (03:51):
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