The rural town of Marokopa in the Waitomo District on Thursday, the town where Tom Phillips and his children disappeared from in December 2021. Photo: Robin Martin
Police are warning they haven't given up their investigation into Marokopa fugitive Tom Phillips and want to find those who helped him hide his children for almost four years.
But a local says it's unlikely anyone from the small settlement will turn themselves in, or reveal any potential accomplices.
After nearly four years living in dense King Country bush, Phillips was killed in a shoot out with police early on Monday morning.
One of his children, who was with him at the time, helped police find the remote campsite where their siblings were found more than 12 hours later, deep in dense bush about 2 kilometres away from where Phillips was fatally shot.
Jayda, Maverick and Ember - now aged 12, 10 and 9 - are now being looked after by Oranga Tamariki.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers was clear the investigation into how Phillips and his children were missing for so long was not over.
"My personal view is, somebody's been helping him, so we want to find out who that person is."
The campsite where Phillips and his children were hiding. Photo: Supplied / Police
Waitomo Mayor John Robertson said it was time for anyone with information to speak up.
"The community has to help in every way that they can ... with evidence or with leads," he said.
"The police will find out in the end, but it's better that we cooperate in every way, with the police, that we can. We've had a real tragedy on our hands here, and we need to come to a conclusion and finish the case."
Marokopa local and former Waitomo Mayor Mark Ammon said he was doubtful anyone would turn themselves in.
"If it was me, I'd be just keeping quiet and hoping whatever leads the police get didn't lead to me," he said.
He could not see a reason why anyone would admit to supporting the fugitive, unless the police offered some sort of deal like a lighter sentence for giving evidence.
Ammon believed the vast majority of locals backed the police - but he was not confident anyone from the small settlement would pipe up if they knew of any accomplices.
"Everyone knows everyone else more or less, and so, generally that's an inhibitor to reporting anyone."
The chances of police finding anyone who supported Phillips over the last four years may hinge on what the three children knew and were willing to reveal, Ammon said.
Marokopa local and former Waitomo Mayor Mark Ammon. Photo: RNZ / MARIKA KHABAZI
Chambers said the children would be questioned in time.
"We have a significant number of interviews to do, obviously some of those involve young people," he said.
The investigation will likely continue for months, Chambers said.
Police wanted to know how Tom Phillips got the items found at his campsite: a quad bike, some tyres and cans of Sprite, as well as at least one gun, and ammunition.
"The items that have been found would suggest that there's certainly more to this, and potentially others involved."
Police wonder if two-person patrols needed
Police association boss Chris Cahill said the serious injuries suffered by the officer who first confronted Tom Phillips raises questions about how police should operate in rural areas.
Cahill told Morning Report the officer was lucky backup was nearby, as rural police often need to work alone.
"It's a really challenging environment, New Zealand, it has so many rural environments where you can't necessarily justify two officers all the time," he said.
"I've worked that area myself, I've worked night shifts by myself, and sometimes you've just got to act on what's happening. He's obviously used his intuition to get in the right place, he had backup close by but unfortunately not immediately at the time."
He wondered if police could or should change their policy.
"Should we have two-person patrol cars at all available opportunities? It's a difficult thing in some of these environments, but I think it's a question worth asking," he said.
Cahill noted the officer seemed to be in good spirits, but said that didn't take away from the severity of his injuries.
"A pretty resilient bunch, these police officers. But I don't think we should downplay [this], any gunshot wound is pretty serious and as we've learnt in the past there's a long road to recovery and these things are life changing," he said.
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