A New Zealand father who vanished with his three children nearly four years ago has been shot dead by police after a dramatic standoff. Tom Phillips, missing since 2021, had been living in the wilderness and avoiding capture despite repeated sightings and a nationwide manhunt. His disappearance, along with his children, became one of the country’s most talked-about mysteries.
Police said Phillips was killed in a shootout around 2:30 a.m. on Monday, during which an officer was shot in the head and left in serious condition. Another police unit later confronted Phillips, who was fatally shot at the scene. While formal identification is still pending, authorities are confident it is him.
All three children were found safe later that day at a remote campsite in dense bushland. One of the children gave officers key information that helped locate the others. Police confirmed the children’s mother and grandparents have been informed, though future care arrangements remain undecided.
The children’s mother, known as Cat, told RNZ she felt “deep relief” that her children were safe but admitted the family was saddened by the way events ended. Phillips, an experienced hunter from the small rural town of Marokopa, had taken his children after losing custody. The police had wanted him since he failed to appear in court in 2022.
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