Mum of missing kids who vanished in New Zealand wilderness speaks out after dad is shot dead

The ex-wife of fugitive Tom Phillips who took his children and vanished for four years has spoken out after the siblings were found in the New Zealand wilderness

The mum of missing children^[1] who vanished with their fugitive father for four years has revealed her ‘complex emotions’ as the three siblings have finally been found.

Runaway dad Tom Phillips^[2] took his children without legal custody and disappeared in September 2021 after a dispute with their mother. They have been on the run ever since, living in the wilderness in New Zealand^[3] and evading desperate efforts by police to track them down.

All three children were first sighted with their father on October 3, 2024, when they were spotted walking through Marokopa farmland. They are believed to have lived in the wilderness ever since.

And now the siblings – Jayda, 12, Maverick, 10, and Ember, 9 – have miraculously been found safe and well after Phillips and his daughter were spotted carrying out a burglary. Phillips was shot dead by police after opening fire on an officer.

A witness raised the alarm around 2:30am after spotting two figures – believed to be Phillips and 12-year-old^[4] Jayda – in “farm clothing,” and headlamps raiding PGG Wrightson, a rural supply store in Piopio, western Waikato, New Zealand.

The pair fled on a quad bike but were intercepted an hour later, around 33km away on Te Anga Road, where police deployed road spikes.

Phillips was then confronted by a lone officer. He opened fire with a high-powered rifle, striking the officer in the head. When backup arrived, police shot and killed Phillips, while Jayda was taken into custody. His two other children, Maverick, 10, and Ember, 9, were missing at the time, prompting a frantic search.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers later confirmed the siblings were found alone at a campsite and were cooperating with investigators. She said: “I can confirm that the children are well and uninjured, and they will be taken to a location this evening for medical checks”.

And now after four years of hell, the children’s mother, Catherine, has spoken of her relief that the missing siblings have been found and sadness over how the shootout unfolded.

“First and foremost, we are deeply relieved that for our tamariki [children] this ordeal has come to an end,” she told Mata.

“[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.”

Phillips’ ex-wife continued: “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.”

Catherine also extended her aroha [love] to the injured officer, who remains in critical condition, and thanked everyone in the community who had supported the family during the four-year ordeal.

“Your compassion has sustained us,” she said. “As a whānau [family], we are now attempting to work in cooperation with the relevant government agencies to support the safe return and reconnection of our tamariki.

“They have endured a long and difficult journey, and we ask for privacy as we help them adjust and reintegrate into a stable and loving environment.”

Praising the efforts of the search teams who found the children, Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said: “This is a result of incredible work by police who had to contend with a high-risk situation and difficult circumstances both earlier this morning and throughout the day. I want to acknowledge our colleague who was shot and faces a long recovery.”