Tom Phillips, the New Zealand father who had been the subject of a four-year manhunt after taking his three children in 2021, was shot dead by police in the early hours of Monday following an exchange of gunfire during a response to an attempted burglary, authorities said. The child who was with him at the time was unharmed and led police to the other two children, who were found at a remote campsite and are now in the care of authorities.
Police said the incident began at about 2:30 a.m. local time in the rural town of Piopio, in the western North Island. Officers attended following a report of an attempted break-in at a farm supply shop. A quad bike carrying two people was seen heading toward the coastal settlement of Marokopa. Road spikes were laid and, when the vehicle stopped, police said they were met with gunfire.
A first officer to reach the scene was shot in the head and remains in a serious condition in hospital, police said. A second officer returned fire and Phillips died at the scene. Police reported finding multiple firearms and other items of stolen property on the quad bike.
The child with Phillips was not physically harmed and provided information that led officers to two other children at a remote campsite between Marokopa and Te Kuiti. Police said the campsite was in near-freezing conditions. The three children, identified in media reports by their first names as Ember, Maverick and Jayda, were five, seven and eight years old when they first disappeared in September 2021; police said they are now aged nine, 10 and 12. Authorities said their welfare had been the primary concern during the long search.
Phillips first vanished with the children on Sept. 11, 2021, when his vehicle was found parked below a tide line near his parents' home in Marokopa. A large search by land, sea and air was mounted and the family returned home later that month; Phillips was charged with wasting police resources after claiming they had been on a camping trip. On Dec. 12, 2021, the family vanished again.
When Phillips failed to appear at a scheduled court appearance on Jan. 12, 2022, police issued an arrest warrant. He briefly returned to his family home at night to collect supplies on Feb. 9, 2022, and was not seen again for more than a year. Police said they suspected Phillips had taken the children in the context of a custody dispute, but Phillips did not publicly explain his actions.
Over the ensuing years there were occasional reported sightings and intermittent CCTV footage. Between August and November 2023, police recorded several alleged incidents in the Kawhia area, including robberies and sightings at a hardware store and on quad bikes. Grainy CCTV images from late August showed a man matching Phillips' description with a child, both wearing camouflage and face masks, attempting to break into a store in Piopio, police said.
In October 2023, a group of teenage pig hunters filmed a brief encounter with Phillips and his children as they walked through dense bush near Marokopa. The teenagers reported a child told them no one knew they were there except the teenagers. A subsequent three-day search involving police and Defence Force helicopters did not locate the family.
Police said they believed Phillips had some bush survival skills and that the terrain of the western Waitomo region — dense, rugged and unforgiving — may have enabled him to remain hidden for long periods. Investigators also said they suspected he received assistance from others while evading capture; a bank robbery in the town of Te Kuiti was previously linked to an accomplice. Community members in the small settlement of Marokopa, which has fewer than 100 residents, told media Phillips sought to live off-grid and was not active on social media.
In June 2024, authorities offered an NZ$80,000 reward for information leading to the location of Phillips and the children. The deadline passed with no breakthrough. Police have said they deliberately avoided an aggressive, large-scale search when there were later sightings, citing concerns that Phillips was armed and dangerous.
Police released few additional details on Monday. Investigators continue to examine the circumstances of the attempted burglary, the exchange of gunfire and the items recovered from the quad bike. Many questions remain about why Phillips took his children and how he managed to evade authorities for years. Police said inquiries are ongoing and that child protection and welfare agencies are managing the children's care.
The shooting marks a dramatic and deadly end to a case that drew national attention and significant policing resources since 2021. The injured officer is being treated in hospital. Authorities asked anyone with information related to the case to contact police and said that forensic and other investigative work at the scene and at related locations would continue.
