Police pointed the finger at Phillips for several crimes, including a bank robbery and a gun incident.

Many are wondering why the missing family has still not been found, with some calling for the military to be called in to find Phillips and her three children.

Burdett said A news a competent, neutral negotiator could approach anyone in the Marakopa community who was helping Phillips.

“He’s someone with a delicate touch.”

The former negotiator said it would be beneficial to have someone who has been through a lot, like him, and who understands what it means to return to the real world.

“It’s not about me, it’s about getting a safe ending,” Burdett told the Herald.

“It seems like some people say I do it for the highlights. That’s not what it’s about. I have plenty of other things to do.

“This is the only way to solve the problem.”

Waitomo District Mayor John Robertson said 1News there was no indication that Phillips wanted to come out of the bush and surrender.

“If anyone with a little mana could help put a stop to this, that would be the best solution we could come up with,” he said.

Last month’s bombshell the sighting was the first for Phillips and all three children since their disappearance in December 2021.

Phillips remained on the run despite calls from Jayda, Maverick and Ember’s mother, Catan increased police presence around Marokopa in June and the offer, now expired, of an $80,000 reward for information leading to the family’s safe return.

An arrest warrant was first issued for Phillips on December 9, 2021, after he failed to appear in court for wasting police resources.

The charge was laid after the 34-year-old disappeared with his children from a beach near Marokopa in September 2021 – the discovery of his ute on the shore sparking major land and sea searches – before returning almost three weeks later, claiming to need “time out”.

Since his last disappearance, Phillips is believed to have been involved in several crimes, including the robbery of an ANZ bank and the shooting of a supermarket worker in Te Kūiti in May last year – which led police to the charged with aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding and illegal possession of a firearm.

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