A father who had been on the run with his three children in New Zealand's wilderness for nearly four years has been shot dead by police.
Tom Phillips, who disappeared with his children in late 2021, had evaded capture despite a nationwide search and multiple sightings over the years.
The case had gripped the country and remains one of New Zealand's most enduring mysteries.
Phillips was killed in a shootout around 02:30 on Monday (14:30 GMT Sunday) in Piopio, a small town in northern New Zealand, police said.
Officers were responding to a reported robbery at a commercial property when Phillips and one of his children were spotted riding a quad bike.
Police officers then gave chase before laying road spikes to stop them. The bike hit the spikes and went off road.
When police reached the vehicle they were met with gunfire, Deputy Police Commissioner Jill Rogers told reporters.
The first attending officer at the scene was shot in the head and remains in serious condition, police said.
A second patrol unit then engaged Phillips, who was shot and died at the scene. While the body had not been formally identified at the time of the announcement, police were confident it was Phillips.
The other two children were found later in the day at a remote campsite in dense bush. All three children are unharmed, Rogers said.
The child he was with, who has not been identified, provided crucial information that helped them locate Phillips' two other children later in the day.
It was unclear whether the children had been informed of their father's death.
Police have notified their mother and Phillips' parents that the children are safe, though they declined to comment on who will provide ongoing care.
The children's mother, known only as Cat, told local media outlet RNZ she was deeply relieved that this ordeal has come to an end after missing her children dearly every day for nearly four years. But, she continued: We are saddened by how events unfolded today.
Authorities said Phillips had been evading capture since failing to appear in court in 2022.
Before they disappeared, Phillips and his children were living in Marokopa, a small rural town in the region of Waikato. Phillips, believed to be in his late-30s this year, had been described as an experienced hunter and bushman.
Police believe he took his children after losing legal custody of them.
Marokopa is an area surrounded by a very harsh landscape, a sweeping and rough coastline, dense bush and forested terrain with a network of caves spanning many kilometers.
Locals know Phillips as a bushman with survival skills that would have set him up for building shelters and foraging for food in the wilderness.
However, there were signs that he got desperate for resources. Since 2023, there have been sightings of Phillips and his children at numerous break-ins at hardware and grocery stores.
Last October, a group of teenagers spotted them trekking through the bush and filmed the encounter. In the video, Phillips and the children were wearing camouflaged clothing and each was carrying their own packs.
Last year, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Phillips over his suspected involvement in a bank robbery in Te Kuiti, a small town on the North Island.
Many have wondered if Phillips got any help from the tight-knit community in Marokopa, and that question remains unanswered.
Phillips's death comes less than a month after his family directly appealed to him to come home. In an interview with local news website Stuff, his sister Rozzi had expressed the family's willingness to help him navigate his troubles.
New Zealand's Prime Minister Chris Luxon has described the turn of events as sad and absolutely tragic, expressing that the outcome was not what anyone wanted.
Residents have expressed concern over the impact of Phillips's actions and death on the children, highlighting the need for their care and support going forward.
