A New Zealand man who has been a fugitive father on the run with his three children for the past four years, has been shot dead by police in a violent exchange of fire.

Tom Phillips who took his children after losing legal custody back in 2021, has somehow managed to evade capture in all that time and is understood to have been living in the wilderness with his kids. 

He is thought  to have been behind several robberies over the past few years and in the early hours of Monday 8 September, police investigating a burglary in the nearby town of Piopio came under heavy fire, leaving one officer seriously injured after receiving shots to the head.

Phillips had one of his children with him as they attempted to make their get away on a quad bike, but were forced from the road, with the wanted man eventually being killed in the subsequent gun battle.

The child who was with him was unharmed and was able to lead authorities to the other two children, who were found safe later in the day at a remote campsite in dense bush. 

Failed custody battle prompted disappearance

Phillips went missing after failing to appear in court, taking his children Jayda, now 12, Maverick, now 10 and Ember, now 9, with him, following a bitter custody dispute with their mother.

The remarkable case had been a major talking point for the entire country over the past four years, many believing them to be dead, others suspecting they were being sheltered. 

Shoot to kill

When Officers were called out to a reported robbery at a commercial property at around 2.30am in Piopio, a small town in northern New Zealand, they received information that the suspects were fleeing on a quad bike.

They gave chase before laying road spikes, which brought the vehicle off the road. When the police approached they were met with shots from a high-powered rifle critically wounding one officer. 

Critical condition

A back-up patrol unit arrived soon after and Deputy Police Commissioner Jill Rogers confirmed: “They engaged the offender who was then given immediate first aid but died at the scene.”

She added: “This has been a deeply traumatic incident this morning for those involved. It has been confronting and challenging in a small, rural, isolated location,” before confirming the injured officer required emergency care and would need additional surgeries on “critical, but survivable injuries.”

End of a nightmare 

The children’s mother, known only as Cat, said she was “deeply relieved” that “this ordeal has come to an end” after missing her children dearly “every day for nearly four years.” 

She did express sadness at how the the events of the day unfolded, adding: “Our hope has always been that the children could be returned in a peaceful and safe way for everyone involved.”

Survival skills put to use

Before they disappeared, Phillips and his children were living in Marokopa, a small rural town in the region of Waikato. It is an area surrounded by a very harsh landscape, a sweeping and rough coastline, dense bush and forested terrain with a network of limestone caves.

He came from a farming family in the settlement which has a population of less than 100 people and was known to possess survival skills which would have enabled him to create shelters and be able to forage for food in the unforgiving wilderness. 

Spotted last year

Over the years there had been sightings and he was linked to numerous break-ins at hardware and grocery stores. In October 2024 a group of teenagers came across Phillips and his children in the bush and said they had spoken with one of the children who responded to the question “does anyone know you’re here?” saying: “only you!”

Family appeal

Only last month Phillips’ sister, Rozzi directly appealed to him to come home, assuring him that the family would give him all the assistance he needed and welcome him back into their lives again.

It would seem that he did not believe there was any going back.

Sadness across the country

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Chris Luxon has described the turn of events as “sad and absolutely tragic.

“This is not what anybody wanted to happen today. I think that is a consistent feeling from everybody across New Zealand.”