How fugitive dad Tom Phillips was able to survive in wilderness with kids before he was shot dead by police
Tom Phillips, a 41-year-old father, captured headlines across New Zealand after he went on the run with his three children back in 2021, surviving in the wilderness as a family for years before his death in a police confrontation.
Police described Phillips as someone who 'doesn’t live a mainstream lifestyle,' deliberately avoiding social media and limiting his use of mainstream banking.
This off-grid lifestyle made tracking him and his family extremely difficult for authorities.
Nobody knows exactly how Phillips and his children managed to live undetected for so long, but investigators say the family survived by living off the land.
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Police have reportedly asked farmers in remote areas to check for missing stock, while evidence of Phillips’ purchases — camping gear, seedlings, and other supplies — suggested he was skilled at self-sufficient living.
The story came into sharper focus in October 2024 when footage emerged of an adult and three children walking across farmland near Marokopa. The video was taken by teenage pig hunters who happened upon the group and began filming. Police believed the footage captured Phillips and his children. Despite a thorough search of the area the following day, authorities were unable to locate the family, further highlighting how elusive they had become.
Phillips’ life as a fugitive was not entirely peaceful. In 2023, he allegedly attempted to rob a grocery store, marking a violent and risky turn in his efforts to survive outside society. The incident brought him to the attention of police, setting in motion a series of events that would culminate in a deadly confrontation in September 2025.
Locals didn't think Phillips wasn’t doing it all alone. Stan Vicary, a relative who’s lived in Marokopa since 1973, told police in 2023 he must have been getting help to stay hidden.
"You can’t live in the bloody bush all through the bloody winter," Vicary said. "They’re in a bloody house somewhere; it’s been bloody cold."
Over in Kiritehere, people noticed the police presence had ramped up again — though nothing like the frenzy back in September 2021, when Phillips first vanished.
Back then, when his Toyota Hilux was found dumped on a beach, resident Nora Haupokia was smack in the middle of the chaos.
"The first day when the Kawhia police came to me, there were about 25 across the bridge," she said. "By the time everyone else turned up, it was about 50 cops and two fire brigades. It was hectic."
Phillips finally came out of the bush with his kids about 20 days later. He apologized for all the fuss as he apparently didn’t realize there was a search going on, since he had stayed outside the area. Nevertheless, he continued his escape.
But the last time they emerged on that Kiritehere beach, the kids were buzzing to talk about their bush adventures.
"[His eldest, Jayda] mentioned watercress and smoked eels… and bread," Haupokia recalled. "Just stuff you’d normally eat at home. That’s what they were used to — that’s what they were eating in the bush."
Following this first sighting after Phillips and his children disappeared again, Haupokia had one message for him:
"I wish you’d come back, Tom. Come back, be with your family, and give people some peace of mind. So many are looking for you."
Reports indicate that Phillips’ knowledge of the land, his off-grid lifestyle, and his ability to avoid conventional systems of tracking helped him evade authorities for years. Police have emphasized that Phillips’ approach — living quietly, avoiding social media, and minimising financial footprints — made it extremely difficult to trace him and his children.
Tragically, Phillips’ long period on the run came to an end when police located him.
The confrontation ended with Phillips being shot dead, closing one of the most unusual and closely followed manhunts in recent New Zealand history.
While the father’s death is confirmed, authorities continue to ensure the safety of his children, who were reportedly with him at the time.
The saga has raised questions about the challenges of policing remote areas, the ability of people to survive in isolation, and the fine line between self-sufficiency and criminality.
As authorities continue to investigate, the case of Tom Phillips remains one of New Zealand’s most extraordinary and tragic tales of a fugitive father who lived off the grid — and ultimately, paid the ultimate price.
Lara Owen