Police remain tight-lipped about speculation that a baby is among the missing children they're searching for after a fugitive father was shot dead by officers following a bungled robbery.
Tom Phillips vanished from the rural town of Marokopa on New Zealand's North Island in December 2021 with Jayda, now 12, Maverick, ten, and Ember, nine following a custody dispute with their mother.
They are believed to have lived in the wilderness ever since, despite numerous police search operations and a NZ$80,000 reward.
Phillips and one of his children were riding a quad bike away from a small business in Piopio, in western Waikato, on the country's North Island, when they were stopped by police road spikes about 3.30am local time Monday.
Phillips was then confronted by a lone police officer. He shot the officer in the head with a high-powered rifle. When a second police car turned up, Phillips was shot dead and the child was taken into custody.
