Police have shared new images of what is believed to be more of Tom Phillips’ campsites that he used to hide from police while on the run with his three children.
Phillips was killed in a shootout with police in the early hours of September 8 after a near four-year manhunt for the father, who disappeared with his children in late 2021.
The images shared today, believed to be the family’s primary campsites, showed two large “established” and “heavily concealed” structures.
New images released as Tom Phillips’ primary campsites discovered – watch on TVNZ+
The two sites were found north and east of Marokopa.
The semi-permanent structures were partially buried and concealed by large amounts of vegetation.
Detective Superintendent Ross McKay said police believed Phillips and the children moved regularly between the camps, the makeshift camps near Te Anga Road and other locations around Marokopa.
“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,” McKay said.
Investigators had removed a “significant number of items” from the camps, which would be forensically analysed.
All the campsites were cleared, and police said it won’t release their exact locations.
McKay said the camps discovered showed why approaching Phillips would have been “extremely dangerous”.
“As we’ve said previously, we knew he had firearms and was motivated to use them.”
He said police continued to make “good progress” in its investigation, and still believed Phillips was being helped by a “small number” of people over the last few years.
A police officer was shot in the head and shoulder during the confrontation with Phillips.
He was making a “slow but steady” recovery.
