The parents of Tom Phillips, who vanished with his three children into the New Zealand wilderness in 2021, have issued a public apology. This marks their first public statement since Phillips was shot dead by police on September 8th.
In a letter published in the local newspaper King Country News, Neville and Julia Phillips expressed their sincere apologies for the “trouble, inconvenience, loss of privacy and property caused by Tom.” They explicitly stated they did not support or agree with his actions over the past four years and are truly sorry for the community’s experiences.
Phillips had successfully evaded capture for nearly four years, despite an extensive nationwide search and numerous reported sightings. He was killed in a shootout in September, during which a police officer was seriously injured. The injured officer has since been released from the hospital.
One of Phillips’ children was present during the shootout and later provided crucial information that helped locate the other two children. Prior to his disappearance, Phillips and his children resided in Marokopa, a rural town in the Waikato region, known for its challenging, steep terrain and dense bush that made them difficult to find.
Detective Superintendent Ross McKay had previously highlighted the difficult and obscured nature of the terrain where Phillips kept the children. He emphasized that the primary objective of the police operation was the safe location and return of the children, acknowledging that Phillips was known to possess firearms and was prepared to use them.
Police have refrained from providing further details due to ongoing investigations. Phillips’ family had previously made public appeals for him to return, with his sister Rozzi expressing readiness to help him through whatever he was facing, and his mother Julia writing a letter hoping for his return home.
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