Found Safe New Zealand - Tom Phillips, 34, shot/deceased; his 3 children who were with him found alive

[Innana]

Sad to hear it ended like this for the father. Never good for people to die. Greatful the children are safe.

As a clinical therapist, I can only imagine the work to begin now for them psychologically. Even just assimilating back into society, attachment with relatives, adjustments to moral norms etc. These kids were hiding and stealing for years in order to survive, and being told to watch over their shoulders. Be an interesting case to work. But that’s the psych nerd in me lol.

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1965303660084158584

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1965284620875813254

New photos have emerged of the remote campsite where police discovered Tom Phillips' children hours after the New Zealand fugitive was shot dead by police.

The area was surrounded by native New Zealand bush.

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1965244075503665480

"Police Minister Mark Mitchell:

'They have seen and been exposed to things
that children in our country should not be'.

Police said the children will be given time to settle,
but conceded there would come a point when they would need to be interviewed.

The quad bike remains at the scene of deadly shootout on Tuesday."

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1965370090691416491

"Police recovered several firearms from the camp,
pictures of which did not show any sign of a shelter, bedding, blankets, spare clothes or even a fire.

The makeshift camp,
which was located by specialist police acting on information from one of the Phillips children,
remained a crime scene on Tuesday.

'We are interested in how Phillips was able to access multiple firearms',
Commissioner Chambers said.

'There's a lot of work to do over the next few months
that will help us determine whether or not there is anybody else that's been involved'."

 

[MelmothTheLost]

I never expected a good ending to this story so I'm thrilled that these kids are now safe.

Looking at this another way, perhaps this is a good ending since the unstable violent criminal father is now permanently out of the picture in terms of custody and the children being able to put him completely behind them in reintegrating into society. It's usually said that children need a father, but that assumes the father isn't an unstable violent criminal.

 

[Cascadia Mount]

I never expected a good ending to this story so I'm thrilled that these kids are now safe.

So am I! Bad as it was for those kids to be on the run for alll that time it seems the authorities knew what they were doing.

 

[vls12345]

I feel like social services will need to work with the children like they have been brainwashed victims in a cult for multiple years. MOO.

 

[Seni]

Police vow to find who helped fugitive Tom Phillips

His three children, now 12, 10 and 9, are in the care of Oranga Tamariki.

www.nzherald.co.nz

Police are warning they haven’t given up their investigation into Marokopa fugitive Tom Phillips and want to find those who helped him hide his children for almost four years.

But a local says it’s unlikely anyone from the small settlement will turn themselves in, or reveal any potential accomplices.

(....)

 

[Seni]

Long recovery ahead for cop shot in confrontation with Tom Phillips

The rural Waikato officer was critically injured early on Monday morning after approaching the fugitive father's quad bike.

www.1news.co.nz

(...)
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers and Police Minister Mark Mitchell visited the injured officer and his family on Tuesday.

“He was able to speak to us a little bit. His eyes are not open. You’ll appreciate that [on Monday] he spent a good deal of the day in surgery,” Chambers said.

"It’s very confronting, but he knows we’re there. He was able to share a couple of laughs, and that’s good, but it’s pretty hard."


(....)

 

[cocomod]

It is completely strange to me that this all ended after he was pursued for stealing milk. It sounds like they had other stolen items, but LE was not alerted until they stole the milk.

I pray for these children as they have years of abuse to recover from. It is absolutely abuse that he kept them away from family, school, RL, home for 4 years. Also, he made them steal and likely brainwashed them that authority and LE are bad. I hope that they can find a good counselor for them to work through everything that they have experienced.

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1965533783228060061

Police have revealed one key detail they can't explain after making a strange discovery on Tom Phillips' quad bike.

A collection of shoeboxes was found on it.

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers on Wednesday admitted the boxes of shoes were a 'very interesting' detail.

'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',
he said.

'Our investigation will help determine what other modes of transport he may have used
or others may have helped with',
Commissioner Chambers said.

A police officer shot by Phillips during the standoff suffered severe head injuries
(pictured, the scene of the shooting on Tuesday)."

 

[airportwoman]

"Hidden for nearly four years: ​

how the saga of fugitive father Tom Phillips unfolded in New Zealand.​

View attachment 613233
The mayor of Waitomo, John Robertson, said it was the worst possible end to the saga.

Hidden for nearly four years: how the saga of fugitive father Tom Phillips unfolded in New Zealand

Sightings of Phillips and his three children were rare over the years and mystery surrounded how they survived in the remote wilderness

www.theguardian.com

The worst possible end would have been the deaths of the children, by any method.

I haven't followed this story closely, but I was aware of it. Glad the kids are alive, and now safe.

 

[Dotta]

The worst possible end would have been the deaths of the children, by any method.

I haven't followed this story closely, but I was aware of it. Glad the kids are alive, and now safe.

I was just quoting the words in the link.
This seems to be the opinion of the local official.

I didn't express my opinion in the post OP quoted.

But, of course, I view this case as a tragedy
My mind simply boggles.

 

[LeahBee]

It's hard to imagine they didn't have any outside help during the 4 years in hiding.
I know he was seen on cctv stealing a couple times in the past, and then of course this most recent incident. But he would have to steal A LOT over the years to keep 4 people alive. Plus having items such as sprite, coke, fuel, etc.
Even if he was hunting, there was no sign of a fire as far as I'm aware? Unless they were cooking on a camp stove... which of course requires fuel.
He would have to commit so many robberies to keep the camp stocked up, and the locals in nearby towns I assume would be on alert for this type of thing - even if shop owners didn't have CCTV - noticing broken locks, broken windows, missing inventory, plus just the general knowledge that there's a man and 3 kids in hiding somewhere nearby.

I wonder what kind of story he spewed to anyone potentially helping him - maybe something about an abusive partner/parent and that the kids were truly safer out in the forest. Ughhh I'm just speculating but I can't wrap my head around the idea he wasn't being helped. But I'm also not outdoorsy at all so idk

 

[LadyL]

Looking at this another way, perhaps this is a good ending since the unstable violent criminal father is now permanently out of the picture in terms of custody and the children being able to put him completely behind them in reintegrating into society. It's usually said that children need a father, but that assumes the father isn't an unstable violent criminal.

that's exactly what I said if you read the second half of my sentence
I was saying this is a good ending

 

[LadyL]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1965533783228060061

Police have revealed one key detail they can't explain after making a strange discovery on Tom Phillips' quad bike.

A collection of shoeboxes was found on it.

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers on Wednesday admitted the boxes of shoes were a 'very interesting' detail.

'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',
he said.

'Our investigation will help determine what other modes of transport he may have used
or others may have helped with',
Commissioner Chambers said.

View attachment 613624

A police officer shot by Phillips during the standoff suffered severe head injuries
(pictured, the scene of the shooting on Tuesday)."

boxes of shoes??? there must be a camp they haven't discovered yet - there was no tent, no campfire, no food at the site where the two youngest were found

 

[Dotta]

"New Zealand police believe
they have discovered the main campsite that had been used by Tom Phillips and his three children.

Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Saunders revealed the site was well hidden and difficult to access.

Detective Senior Sergeant Saunders described the area as 'grim' and 'dimly lit'."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1965591943154401380

 

[Megnut]

"New Zealand police believe
they have discovered the main campsite that had been used by Tom Phillips and his three children.

View attachment 613663

Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Saunders revealed the site was well hidden and difficult scro

.

View attachment 613664

Detective Senior Sergeant Saunders described the area as 'grim' and 'dimly lit'."

View attachment 613665

https://twitter.com/x/status/1965591943154401380

Those poor children. Ripped from their mommy and then dragged into this chaos, utterly dependent on him in the cruelest of ways. Stockholm Syndrome territory. Their own father, their captor, forced into raw dependence on him for the lowest level of the hierarchy of needs. Four years, it's unfathomable.

Robbed of so much childhood.

JMO

 

[Absoluterubbish]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1965533783228060061

Police have revealed one key detail they can't explain after making a strange discovery on Tom Phillips' quad bike.

A collection of shoeboxes was found on it.

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers on Wednesday admitted the boxes of shoes were a 'very interesting' detail.

'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',
he said.

'Our investigation will help determine what other modes of transport he may have used
or others may have helped with',
Commissioner Chambers said.

View attachment 613624

A police officer shot by Phillips during the standoff suffered severe head injuries
(pictured, the scene of the shooting on Tuesday)."

Why is this strange, him and the kids would need shoes?