Bizarre find at campsite where fugitive dad lived with missing kids
Police are stumped by one find at the campsite where fugitive dad Tom Phillips lived with his kids before a fatal shootout.
Frank Chung and Heath Parkes-Hupton
Inside the campsite where fugitive dad lived with missing kids
Inside the campsite where fugitive dad lived with missing kids
Police have shared images of the campsite where the missing children of fugitive Tom Phillips were found…more
Police have released new pictures of the “grim” and “dimly lit” campsite used by Tom Phillips and his three children.
The fugitive dad was gunned down this week after four years on the run. Today police have released more pictures of the camp he was held up in.
Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Saunders revealed the site was well hidden and difficult to access.
“It’s a very grim, dimly lit area, surrounded by dense bush,” he said.
Police are today continuing the search and examination of what is believed to be the main campsite of Tom Phillips. Picture: NZ Police
The area is difficult to access, well-hidden and highlights the challenging environment the family used as their base. Picture: NZ Police
Police have released new images from this wider site. Picture: NZ Police
Phillips vanished with his three children, Jayda, 12, Maverick, 10, and Ember, 9, since from the family farm in Marokopa in December 2021 following a dispute with their mother.
He was shot dead by police in western Waikato on the country’s north island on Monday morning, after wounding one officer in a shootout.
New Zealand Police Commissioner Richard Chambers revealed on Wednesday that the eldest child, Jayda, was “very, very helpful” in leading police to her siblings after the shooting.
She had been with Phillips at the time of his death and told police about the campsite where her brother and sister could be found.
Police made a strange find on a quad bike at the site, a collection of shoeboxes. Picture: Stuff Digital/ David White
“No, she wasn’t there physically. We would not put her alongside us as we move forward to the campsite because that presents a risk to her and we wouldn’t be prepared to put her in any risk at all.”
Among the site were bags of livestock feed and, bizarrely, a large array of adult shoeboxes.
Asked about the find, Police commissioner Richard Chambers said Phillips was suspected of committing a “number of burglaries” but it was not believed he used stolen goods to stay afloat financially.
“Certainly a very interesting set of circumstances here, and I know that as the investigation continues and we put the information we have together and hopefully tell a clearer story for us all,” he said.
“I’m not sure that he would be running a business or trading on the side. He’s clearly had other priorities.”
The campsite where Tom Phillips’ children were found. Picture: NZ Police
At least one additional gun was located. Picture: NZ Police
The camp was in dense bush 2km away from the shooting. Picture: NZ Police
Police Minister Mark Mitchell told the New Zealand Herald that authorities were also probing who might have been helping Phillips evade capture for so long.
“They’ve been very clear that they’re very focused on any people that may have been enabling Phillips to continue to elude police,” he said.
Mr Mitchell said he had been told in official briefings the children had been isolated from education, friends and wraparound family support.
“I just completely condemn Tom Phillips as a father … seems to have prioritised himself and not his children.”
The camp site was located 2km away from where Phillips was killed, where several additional firearms were found along with two quad bikes with blankets draped over them.
Two cans of Sprite can be seen sitting on a tyre next to one of the quad bikes, with a large plastic container on the ground.
The camp area and the scene of the shooting remain active crime scenes, with forensic staff on site today gathering evidence.
“The body of Tom Phillips was removed from the scene late yesterday and there will be a post mortem tomorrow, after which his body will be released to his family,” Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers said in a statement.
“Investigation staff are going over the areas where the family had been staying, and have been speaking with farmers, locals, and workers in the area. That work is to help us build an accurate picture of the movements of Tom Phillips and the children.”
Commissioner Chambers said the investigation would turn to how Phillips came to be in possession of so many firearms.
Three firearms, including the weapon used by Phillips, were recovered from the scene of the shooting, and several more were found that the camp.
“There’s a lot of work to do over the next few months that will help us determine whether or not there is anybody else that’s been involved,” Mr Chambers said at a media conference on Tuesday, per the NZ Herald.
Police will need to speak to Phillips’ children, but they will be given as much time as they need to settle, Commissioner Chambers added.
Maverick, 10, Jayda, 12, and Ember, 9, have been safely recovered. Picture: NZ Police
“Our investigation will help determine what other modes of transport he may have used or others may have helped with,” he said.
Ms Rogers said the children were now in the care of Oranga Tamariki (Ministry for Children).
“Our staff described the children as being engaged and they readily spoke with our staff, who provided them with snacks and drinks while they waited to be brought out of the camp site,” she said.
“While they are now in the care of Oranga Tamariki, we will continue to work closely with the children, taking the time and sensitivity that is needed after the ordeal they have been through.”
Mr Chambers said he had visited the injured officer in hospital on Tuesday morning with Police Minister Mark Mitchell.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers. Picture: NZ Police
“While the officer has a long road to recovery, we will be there to support him and his whānau at every step,” he said.
“He is a dedicated and caring constable and represents the best of what it means to be a rural police officer. I’m proud of him, and the officers who arrived on the scene seconds later and dealt to the threat.”
Speaking to NewsTalk ZB earlier on Tuesday morning, Mr Chambers said he was “very, very relieved” that the children had been safely recovered.
Mr Chambers said police were confident the campsite was not the main location where the family had spent a “considerable amount of time”.
“We believe they have been moving around,” he said.
“The terrain in this area is challenging, and they’ve been on the move. They were deep in the bush about 2km away from where the shooting occurred.
Tom Phillips was killed in a shootout with police. Picture: Waikato Police
“We also had information that there were further firearms at this campsite.
“So, yes, it took us a while to ensure the safe recovery of the children yesterday but we had to take that approach because we knew there were firearms present and we could not risk anything playing out that might compromise the safety of the children or my staff.”
The child police had recovered earlier in the day “helped us with the information that we needed to ensure the safe approach”, Mr Chambers told RNZ.
Mr Chambers defended the length of time the operation had taken, saying the goal was always to ensure the safe recovery of the children.
“It was also to ensure the safe arrest of Mr Phillips,” he said.
“That played out in a way yesterday morning that none of us had hoped would occur but it did. Yes, it’s taken a while and I know there will be questions.
“I’ve been briefed throughout this process, I know my staff have worked very, very hard for a very long time in very challenging circumstances and there’s obviously a lot of work to do now in terms of putting the puzzle together.”
The children are in the care of Oranga Tamariki (Ministry for Children). Picture: NZ Police
A local property owner told the NZ Herald the area where the makeshift campsite was found would have made it “very easy to hide”.
“It’s incredibly dense, dense bush,” they said.
“It’s all limestone country, and so there are very few open streams. It’s all kind of really broken terrain, so very, very easy to hide. We’ve got no idea where the place is. We’ve been looking for four years. We’re all wondering where on earth this place might be.”
The nearly four-year manhunt for the fugitive dad came to a dramatic conclusion early on Monday morning when Phillips was chased down on a rural road after robbing a hardware store in the small King Country town of Piopio at about 2.30am, accompanied by one of his children.
Phillips and one of his children seen on CCTV in 2023. Picture: NZ Police
Police eventually spiked Phillips’ quad bike on Waipuna Road, a rural gravel road on the route back to Marokopa, at about 3.20am.
The quad bike came to a stop and Phillips opened fire on the first officer at the scene with a high-powered rifle.
The officer was hit it in the head and shoulder and sustained critical injuries.
A second officer arrived, who shot and killed the gunman.
The child was taken into custody. Police have not revealed the identity of the child but New Zealand media reported it was Jayda.
A desperate search ensued to locate the remaining two children, who were safely found at about 4.30pm (2.30pm AEST) on Monday.
Mr Chambers said the officers involved had “done a magnificent job [in] very challenging circumstances”.
“We have always been very, very concerned,” he said.
CCTV footage from on August 27, 2025. Picture: NZ Police
“We knew that we were dealing with an armed, a dangerous and a very motivated individual in Mr Phillips and we had to be very cautious about the approach we have taken.
“That played out yesterday morning in a way we suspected it could, which was not something that any of us wanted, but our assessment of the situation over the last four years has been spot on.
“And that was shown yesterday morning when we confronted Mr Phillips. He shot one of my staff and we had to return fire. We have always been concerned that that may be exactly what occurred of course that that may also involve the children.”
Asked why there was only a single officer on the scene at the time of the initial confrontation, Mr Chambers said he was “confident” that the support in the area was “what I would want it to be”, with backup arriving almost immediately.
“I was in Melbourne yesterday got a phone call at 1.47am,” he said.
“As soon as that happened I jumped onto our police system and I had a look at the number of units that were in the area at the time, and yes that support was close by. That obviously played out yesterday morning thank heavens with the backup that was there on the spot.”
The children went missing with their father in December 2021. Picture: Facebook
Mr Chambers hit out at members of the public defending Phillips.
“He’s not a hero, not at all,” he said.
“I’m sure there are some in the community who may defend him. We just deal with the situation we need to in the way the community and the public would expect us to. Our priority has always been the safe arrest of Mr Phillips and the safe recovery of the children irrespective of what people’s views may be. We just get on with the job.”
He said the wounded officer had spent most of the day on Monday in surgery.
“He’s got serious injuries to his head and his shoulder,” he said. “I’m looking forward to going [to see] him and his family this morning.”
The Police Minister earlier told NewsTalk ZB he did not “understand why people are holding this guy up as a pillar of society and someone that should be admired”.
“Complete opposite — he shot one of our police officers,” Mr Mitchell said.
“[It’s] probably very, very lucky that police officer is alive. And that police officer was out there putting himself in harm’s way to protect the community he serves.”
Mr Mitchell said it was “obviously an awful situation for everyone involved”.
The children with mum Cat before they went missing. Picture: Facebook
“I think everyone could see just how difficult this situation was for police to deal with, it’s almost the worst-case scenario when you’ve got a father with three children, deep in the bush with high-powered firearms, unpredictable and likely to use them,” he said.
“In some ways although it was an absolute tragedy yesterday, obviously recovering the children … is a good thing.
“You look at the complexity of the situation … I’ve spoken with and visited several of the officers that have been on prolonged operations that have been investigating and working hard to try and recover those children safely.
“They were confronted with an almost impossible situation. They don’t want to create a tragedy. Every Kiwi would fear losing those children.”
In a statement on Monday afternoon, Ms Rogers said the children had been located “unharmed” and were now safe.
“This is an emotional development,” she said.
“To know the children are safe, and now receiving care after nearly four years, is an absolute relief.
“Every person involved in this case has had the welfare of the children at heart.
Police and locals stand near a roadblock near Piopio. Picture: DJ Mills/AFP
“While they are safe, this is the start of a long journey of recovery and their welfare remains our top priority. For that reason, we will not be going into details about where they are now or their mental state.
“We can say the children were found alone and the scene has been locked down and will be subject to a forensic examination that we expect will last several days. A significant amount of work lies ahead of us, but we are grateful to see an end to what has been three years of torment for the children’s family.”
The mother of Phillips’ children, Cat, has also spoken out, telling RNZ on Monday his death brought a “wave of complex emotions”.
“First and foremost, we are deeply relieved that for our tamariki (children) this ordeal has come to an end,” she said.
“[The children] have been dearly missed every day for nearly four years, and we are looking forward to welcoming them home with love and care.
“At the same time, we are saddened by how events unfolded today. Our hope has always been that the children could be returned in a peaceful and safe way for everyone involved.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Picture: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said it was a “sombre day” for New Zealand, paying tribute to the injured officer at a post-Cabinet press conference on Monday afternoon.
Ms Rogers said the incident began when a member of the public called police to report a burglary at the PGG Wrightson store in Piopio.
The witness said two people — a man and a child — were on a quad bike and dressed in farm clothing and wearing headlamps.
“After loading a quad bike with items, they left at about 2.45am and travelled north,” Ms Rogers said.
“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.”
After the fatal shootout, police provided first aid to Phillips, but he died at the scene.
The injured officer was flown to hospital at about 4.50am.
The incident occurred in the area where New Zealand Police have been hunting for Phillips, who did not have legal custody of his children.
The family had been living off the grid, with only a handful of sightings in four years despite a massive police operation.
More Coverage
Kids found safe after four years, dad killed
Update in mystery of missing dad, 3 kids
Last month, NZ Police released CCTV footage they said showed Phillips and one of his children attempting to break into a Piopio business on August 27, after targeting the same business in November 2023.
They had previously been spotted walking on a Marokopa farm in October 2024.
