Tuesday 09 Sep/2025 – 05:29 PM
The New Zealand police revealed new photos of a remote camp in which the fugitive Tom Phillips was hiding with his three children since his disappearance in 2021, before being killed by police shot during an armed confrontation at dawn on Monday, in the Wikato area of the Northern Island.
The body of a father was found hidden by his three children
According to the British Daily Mail newspaper, the photos showed motorcycles, firearms, and simple purposes such as a backpack, water bottles and drinks boxes, but they were devoid of any indications of the presence of shelter or basic living tools, which raised questions about the nature of life that Philips was driving with his children.
Philips was killed after he fired a police officer and was seriously injured, after a chase began after an armed robbery on a farmer store in the town of Boubio, and the police arrested his daughter Jaida 12 years, while her two brothers were found for 10 years and a 9 -year -old later in the camp, and they are now under the auspices of the Ministry of Children’s Affairs.
Investigations are underway
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers confirmed that investigations are underway to find out whether Philips had received foreign assistance or managed to reach transportation and weapons in unknown ways, noting that the police were close to finding the family more than once over the past years.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell explained that Phillips was a dangerous and troubled person and had high -strength weapons, warning that the accident could have ended with a greater disaster had it not been for the police intervention, while the children were social welfare officials that they were in a stable condition and received the necessary support after years of living in the bush away from their mother.
