“OUR FAMILY BROKE WHILE HE HID” — Heartbroken Sister Opens Up After Tom Phillips’ Death, Kids Reunited 😢🌲

Tom Phillips spent 1,342 days off-grid with his children, evading authorities across rugged wilderness. His sister now shares her emotional struggle, revealing secrets about the family’s agony and the untold hardships the children endured, leaving the nation in shock.

“Our Family Broke While He Hid” — Heartbroken Sister Opens Up After Tom Phillips’ Death, Kids Reunited

For 1,342 days, Tom Phillips and his three children—Jayda, 12, Maverick, 10, and Ember, 9—lived off-grid in the rugged Waikato wilderness, evading New Zealand authorities in a case that captivated the nation. On September 8, 2025, the saga ended in tragedy when Phillips was fatally shot by police during a confrontation following a burglary in Piopio. The children were found safe, but the toll of their nearly four-year ordeal has left deep scars. Phillips’ sister, Rozzi Phillips, has now broken her silence, sharing the family’s anguish, the secrets behind their fractured bonds, and the untold hardships endured by the children, leaving New Zealand in shock and mourning.

A Family Torn Apart

Tom Phillips, a skilled bushman from Marokopa, vanished with his children in December 2021 after a bitter custody dispute with their mother, Cat. Facing charges of aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding, and unlawful possession of firearms, Phillips fled into the wilderness, taking Jayda, Maverick, and Ember with him. The disappearance triggered a massive search, with police, volunteers, and helicopters scouring the Waikato’s dense bushland, limestone caves, and remote coastline. Despite a NZ$80,000 reward and fleeting sightings—most notably in October 2024 by pig hunters and August 2025 on CCTV during a store break-in—Phillips remained elusive.

Rozzi Phillips, speaking to Stuff in an emotional interview, described the family’s devastation during those 1,342 days. “Our family broke while he hid,” she said. “Every day was a battle between hope and despair. We loved Tom, but we couldn’t understand why he’d take the kids and put them through this.” Rozzi revealed that the family’s attempts to reach Tom—through emails, phone calls, and public pleas—were met with silence. A handwritten note from their mother, Julia, read aloud by Rozzi in an August 2025 interview, pleaded: “Tom, I feel really sad that you thought you had to do this. It hurts every time I see photos of the children and you.” The note went unanswered, deepening the family’s pain.

The secrecy surrounding Tom’s motives weighed heavily on Rozzi. “He was my brother, a good man with a great sense of humor, but something changed,” she said. “He became obsessed with living off the land, away from everything. We didn’t know if he was keeping the kids safe or dragging them into danger.” The discovery that Tom allegedly involved at least one child in criminal activities, such as the August 2025 Piopio store break-in, shattered Rozzi’s hopes that he was prioritizing their well-being.

The Tragic End and a Campsite’s Secrets

The saga reached its climax on September 8, 2025, when police responded to a burglary at a PGG Wrightson farm supply store in Piopio at 2:30 a.m. Officers pursued a quad bike carrying two suspects, believed to be Phillips and one of his children. After laying road spikes, police were met with gunfire from a high-powered rifle. A constable was shot in the head, sustaining critical but survivable injuries, and a second officer returned fire, killing Phillips. The child at the scene, unharmed, provided critical information, leading police to a remote campsite 2 kilometers away where Jayda and Maverick were found later that day, around 4:30 p.m., in near-freezing conditions.

The campsite, hidden under camouflage netting, revealed a stark picture of survival: a homemade stove, 21 bottles, four gas stoves, quad bikes, tires, cans of Sprite, 27 personal items, and firearms with ammunition. A torn map, indicating a 21-day relocation cycle, and a cryptic document with lines like “We move with the stars, unseen in shadow” suggested a meticulously planned existence. A crayon-written note, possibly intended for Cat, hinted at the children’s emotional turmoil. Rozzi, reflecting on these findings, said, “To think of my niece and nephews living like that—cold, scared, always moving—it breaks my heart. They were robbed of their childhood.”

The Children’s Untold Hardships

The children’s 1,342 days in the wilderness were marked by unimaginable challenges. Living in a “grim, dimly-lit” campsite, as described by Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Saunders, they faced harsh weather, isolation, and the constant threat of detection. The presence of firearms and stolen goods suggests they were exposed to their father’s criminal activities, with at least one child allegedly assisting in the Piopio break-in. Ember’s asthma, requiring prescription inhalers, raised concerns about their access to medical care, with police suspecting Phillips received outside help to obtain supplies.

Rozzi shared her anguish over the children’s plight: “Jayda, Maverick, and Ember are tough, but no kid should have to live like that. They missed school, friends, birthdays. Tom taught them to survive, but at what cost?” The cryptic document’s line, “The children know the code,” indicates they were trained in secrecy, possibly to avoid detection or communicate with potential accomplices. The crayon note, Rozzi believes, was a sign of their longing for connection. “I think one of them wrote it for Cat, maybe to say they were okay or they missed her. It’s haunting to think they felt so alone.”

The children’s cooperation with police, particularly the child who helped locate their siblings, highlights their resilience. “They’re fighters,” Rozzi said. “They’ve been through hell, but they’re still here.” Now in the care of Oranga Tamariki, the children are undergoing medical and psychological evaluations to address the trauma of their years on the run.

A Family’s Agony and a Nation’s Shock

Rozzi’s revelations have stunned New Zealand, where the Phillips case has been a source of fascination and debate. Some in Marokopa viewed Tom as a survivalist defying an overreaching system, while others, including Cat, labeled his actions “child abuse.” Rozzi straddles both perspectives, mourning her brother but condemning his choices. “I loved Tom, but he broke us,” she said. “He thought he was protecting the kids, but he took them from everyone who loved them. Cat, our parents, me—we all suffered.”

Cat, in a statement to RNZ, expressed relief and sorrow: “We are deeply relieved that our tamariki are safe, but saddened by how events unfolded. They’ve endured a long and difficult journey.” Rozzi echoed this, noting Cat’s sleepless nights studying maps, trying to predict Tom’s movements. The torn map’s 21-day cycle confirmed Cat’s instincts, but Rozzi said, “It doesn’t ease the pain. She’ll carry those years of waiting forever.”

The community’s response reflects the nation’s shock. Waitomo resident Marlene McIsaac told 1News, “The kids will be devastated. I wish there’d been a happier ending.” Mayor John Robertson called the outcome “heartbreaking,” emphasizing the toll on the injured officer and the children. Prime Minister Chris Luxon described the events as “sad and absolutely tragic,” capturing the collective grief of a nation.

Unanswered Questions and a Path to Healing

The police investigation continues, focusing on Phillips’ potential accomplices. The document’s reference to “supplies come” and the array of resources at the campsite—quad bikes, gas stoves, and stolen goods—suggest external support. “We’re determined to hold anyone who helped Tom accountable,” said Police Commissioner Richard Chambers. Forensic analysis of the 27 personal items, the map, and the document may yield further clues about Phillips’ network and the children’s experiences.

For Rozzi, the focus is on her niece and nephews. “They’re safe now, but they’ve got a long road ahead,” she said. “Cat and I will be there every step, giving them love and stability.” The crayon note and cryptic document linger as symbols of the children’s lost years, while the family’s fracture—described by Rozzi as “breaking while he hid”—underscores the emotional cost of Tom’s choices. As New Zealand grapples with the shock of these revelations, Jayda, Maverick, and Ember’s resilience offers hope for healing, even as the nation mourns the tragedy that brought them home.