Tragic Fate of a Father on the Run Who Concealed His Children from the World

According to Rokna, citing CNN a shocking and bloody conclusion has been reached in a mystery that gripped a small nation for years: a fugitive father was killed before the eyes of one of his children, a police officer was injured by a gunshot to the head, and two young children were found alone at a remote camp in the wilderness.

The final chapter of the story of “Tom Phillips,” known as the real-life Tarzan, unfolded in a manner no one desired—not the police, not the Phillips family, nor the small community of Marokopa on the rugged west coast of New Zealand’s North Island, near the camp where he and his three children had been in hiding for nearly four years.

Phillips’s life ended on a rural road on Monday morning in a shootout with police, after officers identified him committing a theft at a small-town store about an hour from his hideout.

One of his three children—12-year-old Jaida, 10-year-old Morik, and 9-year-old Ember—was with him at the time of his death. The other two children were found alone at the camp hours later.

Now the central question for the community is: how did it come to this?

The Beginning

The saga began in September 2021, initially believed to be a family tragedy. Phillips’s truck was found beneath the high tide line at Kiritehere Beach near Marokopa in the Waikato region. Child seats were securely fastened in the back, and the keys were under the driver’s floor mat. Yet, the rising tide and local suspicions made the abandonment of the vehicle appear unusual.

Kiritehere, a beach with black sands and heavy surf, is a place even amateur surfers avoid. There were fears that Phillips and his children might have drowned in the roaring sea.

Soon, this remote location—then outside mobile coverage—became the center of search efforts. Rescue teams scoured the shoreline on land and by boat, while helicopters, drones, and light aircraft equipped with thermal cameras took to the air, yet no trace was found.

Phillips, known as an experienced outdoorsman and hunter, was unlikely to have fallen victim to a simple accident. A few days later, police officially announced they were looking for two motorcycles registered to him—the first sign that the case went beyond an accident.

Seventeen days after their disappearance, Phillips and his children suddenly returned to a family farm. Police stated that they had been camping in the forest, 15 kilometers south of the beach. The search operation had cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and Phillips faced charges for wasting police resources.

Five days before Christmas that year, Phillips again disappeared with the children. No search was launched this time. However, when he failed to appear in court in January 2022, a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Four Years in the Shadows

Over the next 1,358 days, only sporadic sightings of him were reported, mostly linked to minor offenses. A more serious incident involved an armed bank robbery with an accomplice reported to be his eldest daughter.

This period strained two families: Phillips’s farming family near Marokopa and the children’s mother, known as Kat. She stated after Phillips’s death that she was saddened but “deeply relieved” that her children’s suffering had ended.

During the years of absence, Phillips’s sister, Razi, left Christmas presents under the tree in the names of Jaida, Morik, and Ember, hoping for their return. Phillips’s mother also repeatedly sent letters urging him to come home.

The future of the children remains uncertain. The government agency Oranga Tamariki, responsible for child welfare, confirmed that they were taken into custody on Monday night.

Police believe Phillips’s second disappearance was likely motivated by child custody issues.

A Community on the Edge of the World

Marokopa, with only 19 permanent residents, is a small and tightly knit community. Yet, over the years, it has lived under the shadow of repeated police inspections, media presence, and constant suspicion that some locals may have aided Phillips.

Phillips was a skilled hunter and woodsman who grew up in the area and knew how to remain hidden in the wilderness. In 2023, he was even seen purchasing survival equipment at a store.

The Night of Death

On Monday morning, police received a report that a man accompanied by a child was stealing from an agricultural supply store in the town of Piopio. A pursuit ensued, and after Phillips’s vehicle struck road barriers, gunfire erupted.

Phillips fired a high-powered weapon at a police officer, injuring him. Moments later, other officers returned fire, fatally striking Phillips.

Information provided by the child with him led police to discover a hidden camp two kilometers from the incident, where the two other children were waiting for their father and sibling. Police approached the camp cautiously due to the potential presence of firearms. The children, however, were found safe and unharmed.

Consequences

The mayor of Waitomo described Phillips’s death as “devastating news” for the small community. He said, “This time, it was his actual downfall.”

Yet, some locals still regard Phillips as a father who merely sought to protect his children. This perception prompted the police commissioner to warn: “No one who behaves this way toward children and attacks officers with a weapon is a hero.”

The main question now is whether Phillips’s children can survive this harrowing experience and begin a new life. Survival skills may have kept them alive over the past four years, but they now must return to a world vastly different from the one they knew.