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Eva Corlett
The vast Waikato region, where Tom Phillips was presumed hiding with his children, is made up of long sweeping coastline to the west, forested terrain and farmland in the centre, limestone cave networks to the north and a smattering of small rural towns and settlements throughout.
Before he disappeared, many New Zealanders would have struggled to pick out Marokopa – the tiny settlement where his family is from – on a map. The isolated settlement is two hours from the nearest city, Hamilton, with one long winding road in and out of the densely forested and hilly landscape.
His case has fascinated New Zealanders, who have struggled to understand how – in a country of close-knit communities – he could have evaded detection for nearly four years.
While there was no suggestion his family helped Phillips, the question of how he managed to conceal himself and his three children – and survive – in the harsh terrain puzzled the nation, leading to speculation others in the community may have aided him.
Sightings of Phillips and his children over the three and a half years have been rare and fleeting. They had little contact with society during this time – though police linked Phillips to multiple robberies at stores and banks throughout the region over the years.
Police described Phillips as someone who “doesn’t live a mainstream lifestyle”, eschewing social media and limiting his use of mainstream banks. Meanwhile, his purchases of camping items and seedlings suggested he was living off the land.
Children's mother 'deeply relieved this ordeal has come to an end'
The mother of the three children has said she is greatly relieved the situation is over but is also saddened by what happened today.
The woman, who gave only her first name, Cat, said in a statement to New Zealand broadcaster RNZ that she looked forward to welcoming her missing children home.
She said:
We are deeply relieved that for our tamariki [children] this ordeal has come to an end. They have been dearly missed every day for nearly four years, and we are looking forward to welcoming them home with love and care.
At the same time, we are saddened by how events unfolded today. Our hope has always been that the children could be returned in a peaceful and safe way for everyone involved.
We express our deepest aroha [love] to the police officer who was injured in the line of duty.
We also extend our aroha [love] to those in the community who have been affected, and our heartfelt gratitude to the many people who have supported us over these past four years. Your compassion has sustained us.
As a whānau [family], we are now attempting to work in cooperation with the relevant government agencies to support the safe return and reconnection of our tamariki [children]. They have endured a long and difficult journey, and we ask for privacy as we help them adjust and reintegrate into a stable and loving environment.
NZ police deputy commissioner Jill Rogers also said one of Tom Phillips’ three children who have been missing was located at the shooting scene, as were multiple firearms.
“We are making urgent inquiries to locate Tom Phillips’ other children, who we hold serious concerns for,” she said, as Eva Corlett reports.
Rogers said the child at the scene was being given support and police would not comment further on the others’ location at this time.
New Zealand police deputy commissioner Jill Rogers said police had been called to a commercial property at 2.30am after reports of a burglary at a rural farm supply store in Piopio.
“Information came to police that described two people on a quad bike, dressed in farm clothing and wearing headlamps,” Rogers said.
As our full report from Eva Corlett also quotes Rogers as saying, the quad bike was observed traveling along a rural road, with items from the store attached. Police laid spikes at an intersection, which the quad bike ran over, she said.
The bike came to rest on the road and an officer attending the scene was “confronted by gunfire at close range”.
“Our officer has been struck in the head … soon after a second patrol unit arrived and engaged the offender,” Rogers said, adding the offender died at the scene.
“The formal identification of this male is yet to take place, but we believe him to be Tom Phillips.”
Opening summary
A fugitive father who had been hiding in New Zealand’s rugged wilderness with his three children for nearly four years has been shot dead by police after an armed burglary, police said on Monday.
Tom Phillips fled into the Waikato wilderness with his three children just before Christmas 2021, following a dispute with their mother.
Police deputy commissioner Jill Rogers said one of the children was located at the scene of the burglary, as well as multiple firearms.
“We are making urgent inquiries to locate Tom Phillips’ other children, who we hold serious concerns for,” she said. “The child located at the scene is being provided wrap-around support, and we will not be providing any other comment at this time on their location.”
Phillips was given immediate first aid but died at the scene, Rogers said. The police officer suffered critical injuries and was under going surgery at hospital.
We will bring you more information as soon as we have it.
