Mother of children who vanished into wilderness speaks out after their father is killed and kids found

The mother of the missing children who vanished into the New Zealand wilderness with their fugitive father has spoken of 'complex' emotions after they were found.

Four years ago, Tom Phillips took his three children and disappeared for 19 days after an alleged dispute with his ex-wife Catherine.

Phillips, who didn't have legal custody of his children, was charged with wasting police time after claiming he'd taken them on an impromptu camping trip. However the father later decided to skip town for good and vanished again with the children in December 2021.

The case attracted global attention as police combed rural northern New Zealand for Phillips, who was said to be an experienced experienced hunter and camper, and his children.

For years, sightings of the family was limited to grainy CCTV clips, leaving authorities to believe Phillips was living with his children in the wilderness.

Efforts to find the family were reignited after they were spotted in the wilderness in October 2024 (YouTube/1News)

Until today (8 September) when it was confirmed that Phillips had been fatally shot while attempting to burgle a commercial property in the country's Waikato district.

Officers were called to the scene and engaged in a shootout with the man.

Following the confirmation that Phillips had been killed, authorities set about finding the man's three children, Jayda, 12, Maverick, 10, and Ember, 9. It's understood that one of the three children had been with him during the attempted burglary and was able to lead officers back to an isolated campsite where their two siblings were.

The children's mother, Catherine, has now spoken of the relief that her children have been found alive and her sadness to learn about the shootout which killed Phillips and left one police officer in a serious condition.

"First and foremost, we are deeply relieved that for our tamariki [children] this ordeal has come to an end," she told Mata (via RNZ).

Catherine has spoken of her relief at the children being found and her sadness to learn of the shootout (RNZ)

"[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."

Catherine 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."

The mother of three went on to extend her aroha [love] to the injured officer and thanked everyone in the community who had supported the family over the past four years.

"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."