Fugitive New Zealand Father Killed by Police; Missing Children Found Safe After Four-Year Ordeal

Tom Phillips, a New Zealand father who had eluded authorities—along with his three young children—since December 2021, was shot dead during a confrontation with police on September 8, 2025, during what began as a burglary attempt in the Waikato region. All three children—Jayda (12), Maverick (10), and Ember (9)—have now been found alive and unharmed.

The Fatal Confrontation and Saving the Children

Police responded to a burglary report at a rural agricultural supply store around 2:30 a.m. A police spike strip disabled Phillips’ quad bike, prompting a confrontation in which he fired at officers, critically injuring one. The officer survived after undergoing surgery.

A second officer returned fire, fatally wounding Phillips, who was not formally identified at the scene but is believed to have been the fugitive.

Children Found Safe

One child was present during the incident and taken into custody, cooperating with investigators. Armed with crucial information, authorities located the other two children later that day—alone but safe—at a remote campsite approximately 2 km from the confrontation site.

The children were medically evaluated and are now receiving emotional support.

The Long Shadow of a Custody Dispute

Phillips and his children vanished following a custody dispute in December 2021. With no legal right of custody, Phillips appeared to assume a fugitive existence. Over nearly four years, authorities conducted repeated searches through dense wilderness.

In October 2024, they were briefly sighted walking through farmland, renewing the desperate search.

Emotional Relief Amid Tragic Closure

The children’s mother, identified only as Cat, expressed relief and sorrow. She called the outcome significantly traumatic but was grateful for her children’s safety: “We are deeply relieved that for our tamariki this ordeal has come to an end,” she shared.

She also extended goodwill to the injured officer and gratitude to community members who supported her throughout the crisis.

Why It Matters

This case underscores immense challenges with long-term missing-person investigations in remote areas. It raises urgency around mental health, policing tactics, and search protocols in geographically isolated regions. The episode is a cautionary tale about how custody disputes and wilderness survival can broaden into a high-stakes national saga.

For the community and family, the focus now shifts to healing and reintegrating the children into a safe, loving environment.

You might also want to read: New CCTV Shows Fugitive Tom Phillips and Child Burglary