CHILLING photos have been released of the remote campsite where cops discovered fugitive dad “Bushman” hiding with his children.
Thomas Phillips had been on the run with his three kids, Ember, 9, Maverick, 10, and Jayda, 12, for almost four years before he was found and killed in western Waikato, New Zealand on Monday.
Police released pictures of the squalid camp where Tom Phillips was hiding with his children[/caption]
Quad bikes are pictured covered in dirty blankets[/caption]
The feral site was found littered with bottles[/caption]
The fugitive dad was caught when a witness spotted him and his eldest daughter Jayda robbing a small farming supply store.
The pair were then confronted by cops after running into a trap when they were driving away on a quad bike.
Phillips was then killed in a shoot out before his two younger children, Maverick and Ember, were found at the Waikato campsite.
Cops have since released grim pictures of the “deep bush” area which, show quad bikes hidden among the trees with dirt-ridden blankets draped over them.
Two cans of Sprite are pictured on one of the tyres and a large container – of what appears to be fuel – sits next to them.
The feral site was found littered with bottles, cut logs, and a piece of tarpaulin.
A stash of firearms and ammunition were also unearthed as cops slammed Phillips for “quite literally” putting his children in “harm’s way”.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers told press on Tuesday the location was “not easily found”, adding that while the location appeared well-lived in, Phillips and his kids “have been very mobile”.
He said an investigation would remain ongoing for “months” and will involve examining how the dad gained access to the firearms.
The force is also looking for potential accomplices who may have assisted Phillips.
Chambers said: “[There is] a lot of work to determine whether there is anyone else involved.”
Phillips disappeared into the wild almost four years ago, and has evaded capture until now despite an intense ongoing search and numerous sightings.
He ran off with his three children – Jayda, Maverick, and Ember – after losing custody of them to his wife.
Phillips came from a farming family, living in the small village of Marokopa on the west coast of New Zealand’s northern island.
He was described as a “skilled builder” who often took his children hunting and his sister said he’d completed a six-month outdoor survival course.
The first sign that something was seriously wrong was when his Toyota Hilux was discovered abandoned in the shallow water of Kiritehere Beach four years ago.
The police began a massive search, but feared Phillips and his children had drowned.
But despite a national manhunt and multiple sightings, the accomplished bushman managed to evade the authorities for nearly four years.
The dad faced a range of charges including aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding and illegally possessing a firearm, police said.
Phillips and his daughter during a burglary[/caption]
Tom was accused of robbing a bank and firing a gun at a supermarket worker in 2023.
His family had recently pleaded with Tom to come forward and end the painful game of cat and mouse.
Cat, the mum of the three kids, shared a statement with local news outlet RNZ that she is “deeply relieved” the ordeal has finally come to an end.
She said of her children: “They have been dearly missed every day for nearly four years, and we are looking forward to welcoming them home with love and care.
“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.
“We ask for privacy as we help them adjust and reintegrate into a stable and loving environment.”
Two sprite cans are pictured on one of the tyres[/caption]
Police officers and locals stand near a roadblock where a police shootout occurred near the town of Piopio[/caption]