Source: New Zealand Police
Police investigating the disappearance of Tom Phillips and his children have located what are believed to be the family’s primary campsites.
Two large, established and heavily concealed structures were discovered in recent weeks in dense bush surrounding Marokopa.
Detective Superintendent Ross McKay says enquiries to date indicate the Phillips family moved regularly between these sites, the makeshift camps near Te Anga Road and other locations around Marokopa.
“For the last few weeks, Police have been piecing together information and building a picture of Phillips’ movements.
“What is now clear is that Phillips moved regularly from coast to farm to bush in a complex manner that meant he was unlikely to be stumbled across.
“Local Search and Rescue staff located the new sites — one to the north of Marokopa, the other to the east — which included partially buried, semi-permanent structures concealed by large amounts of vegetation.
“Approaching Phillips in such circumstances would have been extremely dangerous.
“As we’ve said previously, we knew he had firearms and was motivated to use them.”
Investigators have removed a significant number of items from the camps, all of which will now be forensically examined.
“This is a protracted and labour-intensive exercise that forms part of our ongoing enquiries to identify anyone who may have assisted Phillips.
“We continue to make good progress and believe he was assisted by a small number of people at different stages over the last four years.”
All campsites have been cleared, and Police will not be releasing their specific whereabouts.
In mid-December 2021 Phillips and his three children disappeared for the second time in three months.
The Police operation to locate them, which would later become known as Op Curly, came to an end in the early hours of Monday 8 September 2025 when Phillips shot and critically injured an officer before he himself was shot and killed by Police.
The injured officer is making a slow but steady recovery.
Police will not be releasing any information regarding the children.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Note for media:
NZ Police is releasing the above in recognition of the significant media and public interest in this matter, however, due to the ongoing investigations there are limits on the amount of detail that can be released.
Detective Superintendent Ross McKay will not be available for interviews at this stage.