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Cops revealed strange detail after shooting dead dad who spent four years on the run in the wilderness with his three kids
New Zealand Police have admitted that they cannot explain one unusual discovery made after the death of fugitive father Tom Phillips, who spent almost four years hiding in the wilderness with his three children.
Officers revealed that a collection of shoeboxes was discovered strapped to the 45-year-old’s quad bike after he was shot dead during a confrontation in western Waikato in September last year.
Strangely, the mystery of what he was using the shoeboxes for has never been solved.
The family had spent almost four years on the run living in the wilderness
Phillips was on the run with his children, Ember, nine, Maverick, 10, and Jayda, 12, since December 2021, following a custody dispute with their mother, Cat.
According to the Daily Mail, Police Commissioner Richard Chambers called the shoebox discovery “very interesting”.
He added: “We know that Mr Phillips has been the suspect in a number of burglaries.
“At the moment, one of the things that we’ll be doing is obviously connecting the dots and trying to better understand where equipment, clothing, whatever it may be, has come from.”
The fugitive father was killed after he and Jayda were caught stealing from a PGG Wrightson farm supply store on September 7, 2025 in the small town of Piopio.
After fleeing on their quad bike, Phillips was stopped about 33km away when officers deployed road spikes on Te Anga Road.
He fired a high-powered rifle, critically injuring a lone officer, before being fatally shot when backup arrived.
Jayda was taken into custody at the scene.
With her help, police found her younger siblings camping in a bush just two kilometres away.
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The children have been traumatized by horrifying living conditions
Photos released from the bush site showed the rough conditions the family had endured, with quad bikes hidden among trees, blankets draped for shelter, and Sprite cans resting on tyres. Multiple firearms were also seized at the makeshift camp.
Commissioner Chambers said: “Our investigation will help determine what other modes of transport he may have used or others may have helped with.
“No one who does this to children, no one who unleashes high-powered rifles on my staff is a hero. Simple as that.”
The officer shot by Phillips underwent surgery for serious head and shoulder injuries. “It was very, very close for him,” cops said, describing the fatal injury.
Officials confirmed that the three children were swiftly placed under the care of authorities. It is not publicly known if the traumatized kids have returned to the care of their mother.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell said: “They have seen and been exposed to things that children in our country should not be.
“There’s a careful plan with everyone becoming involved at the right time in terms of making sure that they’re put on a really strong and healthy pathway to recovery.”
Despite what they have been through, Warwick Morehu, Oranga Tamariki’s regional commissioner, thankfully shared: “I can confirm that the children are settled, they are doing well under the circumstances and engaging with the staff."
In the statement made last year, he added: "They are settled, they are comfortable. They are together. I want to assure you all that these tamariki (children) will be provided with whatever help [and] assistance they may need for however long they may need it.”