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The death of Tom Phillips comes after a four-year journey that began on September 11, 2021, where he slipped away from his family, eluding all search efforts for him and his three children.
Phillips first disappeared with Jayda, Maverick and Ember on a mid-September weekend four years ago. He was 34-years-old at the time. The children were eight, seven and five-years-old.
Search and rescue teams combed the area of Kiritehere and Marokopa, looking for the family after Phillips’ ute was found at Kiritehere Beach.
It was almost three weeks before he returned to his parents’ family home on September 30 after camping out in the dense Marokopa bush.
Following the ordeal, the Phillips’ family released a statement to Newshub:
Phillips said he was “remorseful and humbled for the unintended trouble he has caused”.
“We, the family of Thomas, Jayda, Maverick and Ember Phillips wish to express our relief and joy at their safe return, well and happy,” they said. “In these uncertain times with so many added pressures Tom’s decision to go camping without letting anyone know was obviously distressing to everybody.
“Since his return, on gaining an understanding of what lengths have been gone to, to ensure their safe return and the distress caused, he is remorseful and humbled for the unintended trouble he has caused.
“He is now coming to terms with the horrific ordeal we have been put through, thinking that they were possibly all dead.”
Tom Phillips was subsequently charged for wasting police time but missed his court date in January the following year, sparking a warrant for his arrest.
The remorse was short-lived however. On December 9, 2021, he went on the run again with the three children. And until September 8th, had evaded police.
A string of sightings
Phillips returned to a family member’s home in the middle of the night on February 9, 2022 to collect supplies.
Waikato West Area Commander Inspector Will Loughrin said in a later statement:
“He did not appear to have the children with him as they were not sighted.
“Since that time there have been multiple reports of sightings – most in the Waikato region. All have been followed up without success.
“When Tom Phillips was last seen by family in February, he had a beard and that alone will make him look considerably different than in the photos we have circulated.”
It was more than a year until he was alleged to have been seen again – at a bank robbery in Te Kūiti on May 16, 2023, where two people escaped on a motorbike. At the time, Detective Senior Sergeant Ross Patterson said that “a 111 call was made shortly after 12.05pm yesterday, when a man and woman entered a bank on Rora Street, Te Kuiti and demanded cash. Both are believed to have been armed, but thankfully nobody was injured.
“They were both dressed in black and fled on a black, farm-style motorbike as seen in the photograph accompanying this release.
“The Police Eagle helicopter responded and assisted with area searches for the pair. While they remain outstanding, Police are following strong leads,” Patterson said.
On August 2, 2023, there were sightings at two separate Bunnings stores in Hamilton.
“In the early afternoon, Tom was sighted at Bunnings South on Kahikatea Drive where he purchased various equipment,” police said in a statement.
“Later that afternoon at around 4pm, he was sighted at Bunnings in Te Rapa where he made further purchases.
“He used a large amount of cash to make these purchases and the items purchased suggest that Tom may have set up a campsite.
“These items include headlamps, batteries, seedlings, buckets and gumboots.”
On September 5, 2023, Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders said Phillips had been charged in relation to the bank robbery back in May 2023.
“Waikato Police investigating an aggravated robbery in Te Kuiti from May have now obtained a warrant to arrest for Tom Phillips,” Saunders said.
“Recent developments in our ongoing enquiries have led Police to charge Mr Phillips with aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding and unlawfully possessing a firearm.
“In May, police appealed for information after two people entered a bank on Rora Street, Te Kuiti and demanded cash.
“Both were armed and fled the scene on a black, farm-style motorbike.”
“We are yet to identify the other person involved,” Saunders said.
In November 2023, Phillips was allegedly seen with another person on a quad bike breaking the front window of a store in Piopio.
The next “credible” sighting was in October 2024 when pig hunters saw Tom Phillips and his three children walking through Waikato farmland about three kilometres south of Marakopa.
Then, on August 27, 2025 the Piopio store Phillips had targeted in November 2023 was again broken into by a person who police believe to have been Phillips and one of his children. This would be the last sighting until police apprehended him the following month, fatally shooting him after he opened fire on a police officer.
According to Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers it was at 2.30am on September 8, 2025 police were called by a member of the public to a burglary at a commercial address in Piopio.
“The caller described two people breaking into a supply store – a male figure wearing a head torch and farm gear, and a shorter person, also wearing a head torch,” Rogers said in a statement.
“After loading a quad bike with items, they left at about 2.45am and travelled north.
“Based on the descriptions provided, Police believed the man was likely to be Tom Phillips, resulting in additional staff, and the Police Eagle Helicopter, being deployed.
“Responding Police set spikes at the intersection of Te Anga and Waipuna Rds, about 3.20am. Several minutes later, the quad bike ran over the spikes, and came to a stop shortly after.
“The man fired multiple shots at the first attending police officer as he exited his vehicle at the scene, striking him in the head and shoulder.
Read more: Constable injured by Tom Phillips is ‘exhausted’ Police Minister says
“A second police unit was immediately on the scene; police fired at the armed man, incapacitating him.
“Police provided first aid, however the offender died at the scene.”
Rogers said a second person was detained at the scene, where multiple firearms were recovered by police, on and around the quad bike.
“With the man was a child, who was not injured in the incident. They have spoken with Police this morning and receiving care.”
It was later revealed that the child was Phillips’ oldest, Jayda, who is now 12-years-old.
According to police, Jayda was able to assist them in locating her two siblings, Maverick (10) and Ember (9), who were found alone at a remote campsite at about 4.30pm on September 8th.
The campsite was roughly 2km from the location where their father Tom Phillips died. He was 38-years-old.
