The four year search for Tom Phillips, the New Zealand father who vanished with his three children after losing a custody battle with their mother, ended in a bloody shootout earlier this week.
Yesterday we reported that Phillips had been shot dead by police after engaging in a gunfight following the attempted robbery at a farm supply store in Piopio. Two police officers responded to the store, where they encountered gunfire after approaching one of two quad bikes that spikes had caught on the road.
According to reports, the first officer was shot in the head, leaving them in critical condition. A second officer returned fire, killing the shooter.
Phillips’ three children Jayda, 12, Maverick, 10, and Ember, nine, were recovered unharmed at a remote campsite and have been taken for medical checks.
The hunt for Phillips and the siblings went nationwide in January 2022. Phillips was reported to have extensive bushcraft and survival skills, making sightings extremely rare over the next few years.
Phillips’ own family issued a plea last month in a bid to convince him to come home. His mom, Julia, penned in a handwritten note:
“Everyday I wake up and hope that today will be the day that you all come home.
“Tom – I feel really sad that you thought you had to do this. Not considering how much we love you and can support you. It hurts every time I see photos of the children and of you and see some of your stuff that is still here.”
Following the fatal shootout that ended Phillips’ life, one of the missing children who was with him at the time (but was unharmed) was able to lead authorities to the two other children.
Authorities have now released photos that reveal just how Phillips was able to evade police detection for the four years he was on the run.
The father-of-three had a network of campsites spread through the dense bush wilderness, as well as quad bikes to help he and his children escape if police got too close.
According to Commissioner of Police Richard Chambers, that happened on a number of occasions.
“Over the past four years, we have covered this terrain, this region a lot. It’s highly likely that we’ve been very, very close,” he said.
“We believe they have been moving around. The terrain in this area is challenging. They’ve been on the move and they were deep in the bush, about two kilometres away from where the shooting occurred yesterday morning.”
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