The last of Tom Phillips’ missing children have been found safe, New Zealand authorities confirmed, ending a nearly four-year search for the children who were living off-grid with their fugitive father.
Phillips was shot dead by police in the wilderness near Waitomo earlier this week.
At approximately 4:30 p.m. local time on Monday, Sept. 8, police located the two remaining children about 2 km (1.24 miles) from the site of the fatal shootout, according to a statement from New Zealand police.
“Specialist Police officers conducting a search within bush near Waitomo located the outstanding children of Tom Phillips. I’m pleased to say they are unharmed and are now safe,” Acting Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers said.
She added, “…While they are safe, this is the start of a long journey of recovery and their welfare remains our top priority. For that reason, we will not be going into details about where they are now or their mental state.”
During a Monday press conference, Rogers revealed the children were found alone at a “remote” campsite and were transported to a different location for medical evaluations, according to the New Zealand outlet Stuff.
Phillips disappeared in 2021 with his three children, Jayda, Maverick, and Ember, now estimated to be 9, 10, and 12 years old, following an alleged dispute with their mother, police reported.
He did not have legal custody and had been living off the grid with the children since.
Despite extensive police searches and multiple reported sightings over the years, the children remained missing until Monday.
Phillips was killed in a police shootout after officers responded to a potential break-in at a farm goods store in Piopio, in the western Waikato district near where he was believed to have been hiding.
One of the three children had been with Phillips during the incident and was taken into police custody. Rogers noted that this same child “provided information [to police] that has been crucial in narrowing our search.”
Authorities say Phillips committed a string of crimes while on the run, including a robbery in Waikato.
Two weeks before the shootout, police released CCTV footage that appeared to show Phillips breaking into a business in Piopio with one of his children, according to official reports.