A fugitive father who disappeared into the New Zealand wilderness with his young children nearly four years ago has been killed in a shoot-out with police.

The apparent break-in happened in Piopio, the small town in which Phillips was believed to have been shot dead today. Very few photographs of Phillips and his children have been made public since they disappeared into the wilderness in 2021. But throughout the years New Zealanders have spotted them on a couple of occasions.

Tom Phillips, who vanished with his three children in 2021, was killed after he shot a police officer on Monday, the authorities said. His children were found safe and unharmed.