Father on run with three children in wilderness believed to be shot dead during armed confrontation with police

A fugitive father who had been hiding with his three children in the dense New Zealand wilderness is believed to be dead after an armed confrontation with police, bringing a tragic end to a mystery that’s gripped the nation for almost four years.

Thomas Phillips and his children – believed to be ages 9, 10 and 12 – had been evading police since December 2021, but his time living off-grid in a remote part of the country’s North Island came to an close after police responded to a break-in at a farm shop in a tiny rural town and gave chase.

A police officer was wounded in the confrontation after being shot in the head at close range, with a high-powered rifle, police said.

One of the children was found with the now deceased man, believed to be Phillips. Now a massive and urgent search operation is underway for the remaining children – a boy and a girl – with temperatures overnight predicted to drop as low as 1 degree Celsius (34°F).

While formal identification has yet to taken place, Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers told reporters Monday: “We believe him to be Tom Phillips.”