On 11 September 2021, Tom Phillips and his three children went missing for the first time. His Toyota Hilux was found parked below a tide line at a beach near his parents' home in Marokopa, New Zealand. Police launched a massive search operation by land, sea, and air. Less than three weeks later, the family returned home, with the father claiming they had been on a camping trip.
Then, on 12 December that year, they vanished again. Aside from a few chance sightings and grainy frames of CCTV footage, the bushman and his three children had not been seen since.
That was, until the early hours of Monday morning, when police responding to a report of an attempted burglary entered into a shoot-out that resulted in Mr Phillips' death, ending a four-year manhunt. Many questions about his disappearance remain, including why he took his children and disappeared into New Zealand's harsh wilderness.
When Mr Phillips returned home for the first time in 2021, he was charged with wasting police resources, as search efforts had cost New Zealand authorities hundreds of thousands of dollars. The police did not start a fresh search when he vanished again with his three children—Ember, Maverick, and Jayda, who were aged five, seven, and eight at the time.
When he failed to appear at a court appearance on 12 January 2022, police issued a warrant for his arrest.
For over a year, he was not seen until a series of sightings emerged in 2023, culminating in a robbery attempt that led to Phillips being spotted, armed and evasive. Eventually, on that fateful day in early September 2025, police encountered Phillips during an attempted burglary, leading to fatal gunfire. While he did not survive, the children are now safe and receiving care from the authorities.
Then, on 12 December that year, they vanished again. Aside from a few chance sightings and grainy frames of CCTV footage, the bushman and his three children had not been seen since.
That was, until the early hours of Monday morning, when police responding to a report of an attempted burglary entered into a shoot-out that resulted in Mr Phillips' death, ending a four-year manhunt. Many questions about his disappearance remain, including why he took his children and disappeared into New Zealand's harsh wilderness.
When Mr Phillips returned home for the first time in 2021, he was charged with wasting police resources, as search efforts had cost New Zealand authorities hundreds of thousands of dollars. The police did not start a fresh search when he vanished again with his three children—Ember, Maverick, and Jayda, who were aged five, seven, and eight at the time.
When he failed to appear at a court appearance on 12 January 2022, police issued a warrant for his arrest.
For over a year, he was not seen until a series of sightings emerged in 2023, culminating in a robbery attempt that led to Phillips being spotted, armed and evasive. Eventually, on that fateful day in early September 2025, police encountered Phillips during an attempted burglary, leading to fatal gunfire. While he did not survive, the children are now safe and receiving care from the authorities.
