In a dramatic and tragic conclusion to a case that has gripped New Zealand for nearly four years, fugitive father Tom Phillips was shot dead by police following a burglary on Monday. Phillips had been on the run with his three children since 2021. During the exchange of fire near Piopio, one of the children was present with Phillips, while the other two were missing for several hours after his death.
The mystery surrounding Phillips and his children’s whereabouts has led to numerous searches, rewards, and public appeals for information from both family members and the police. New Zealand has been left questioning how, in a nation known for its close-knit communities, Phillips managed to evade detection for so long.
Origins of the Saga
The saga began just before Christmas 2021, when Phillips fled into the Waikato wilderness with his children Ember, now 9, Maverick, 10, and Jayda, 12, following a dispute with their mother. Phillips did not have legal custody of the children, complicating the legal and emotional landscape of the case.
The vast Waikato region, where Phillips was believed to have been hiding, is characterized by its long sweeping coastline, forested terrain, and farmland. The region also features limestone cave networks and small rural towns, making it a challenging area for police to conduct searches.
Phillips hailed from a farming family in Marokopa, a small coastal settlement with fewer than 100 residents. The community became inextricably linked with Phillips’s story, as the nation watched the drama unfold.
Evading Capture
The remoteness of the Waikato landscape significantly hindered police efforts to locate Phillips. While there was no indication that his family assisted him, the nation speculated about how he managed to conceal himself and his children in such harsh terrain, leading to suspicions that others in the community might have aided him.
Phillips had previously disappeared with his children in September 2021. Their disappearance prompted a large-scale search after his vehicle was found abandoned along the Marokopa shoreline. Nineteen days later, Phillips and the children returned to his parents’ farmhouse, claiming they had been on an extended camping trip. He was subsequently charged with wasting police time and resources.
Less than three months later, Phillips and his children went missing again. A warrant was issued for his arrest when he failed to appear in court in January.
Elusive Sightings and Speculations
Sightings of Phillips and his children were rare and fleeting over the nearly four years they were missing. They had minimal contact with society, though Phillips was reportedly involved in an armed bank robbery in Te Kūiti in May 2023 and an attempted robbery of a grocery store in November of the same year. Despite an $80,000 reward offered in June, the trail went cold.
Police described Phillips as someone who “doesn’t live a mainstream lifestyle”, avoiding social media and traditional banking systems.
There were numerous speculations about how Phillips and his children survived. Police urged farmers to check for missing livestock, and Phillips’s purchases of camping gear and seedlings suggested a lifestyle of living off the land.
The Final Chapter
In October 2024, footage emerged of an adult and three children walking through Marokopa farmland, captured by teenage pig hunters. Police believed it to be Phillips and his children, but a search of the area yielded no results.
As time wore on, little new information surfaced about the missing family. Last month, Phillips’s family made public appeals for his return. His sister, Rozzi Phillips, expressed hope that he would see their plea and consider coming home.
Just over a week later, CCTV footage allegedly showing Phillips and one of his children breaking into a convenience store was released by police. The case reached its tragic conclusion on Monday when police responded to a burglary at a rural farm supply store in Piopio. Phillips and one child fled on a quad bike, but were stopped by police spikes. An officer was shot in the head, prompting a second patrol unit to fatally shoot Phillips.
“The formal identification of this male is yet to take place, but we believe him to be Tom Phillips,” stated Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers.
One child was found at the scene, and the other two were located uninjured after an extensive search. Multiple firearms were also recovered.
Community Reaction and Reflection
The mayor of Waitomo, John Robertson, expressed deep sorrow over the outcome, stating, “I’m shattered, to be honest, and there will be many in the community that are devastated that this was the outcome after three and a half, four years.”
Robertson had hoped for a peaceful resolution through negotiations with Phillips. The impact of the saga is expected to deeply affect both Phillips’s family and the family of the injured policeman.
The case of Tom Phillips serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities involved in family disputes and the challenges faced by law enforcement in remote areas. As the nation reflects on the events, questions remain about the societal and systemic factors that allowed such a situation to persist for so long.
