Tom Phillips vanished in September 2021 with his three children after a custody dispute.
Their abandoned car was found near the Marokopa coast.
In this episode of The Briefing, we sat down with private investigator Chris Budge about the final moments of Tom Phillips’ life, the years he spent in hiding.
Police launched a long-running search, but Phillips evaded capture for nearly four years.
Over the years, Phillips and his children were occasionally seen; once walking through farmland, later caught on CCTV during a dairy break-in.
Budge said Phillips was later linked to an armed bank robbery in 2023. Authorities believe he had help from locals to survive in remote bushland.
“I don’t believe that he was in the bush for four years, maybe early in September when he first disappeared, and maybe for a little while afterwards,” Budge said.
“But since that time, I have a belief that they’ve been helped by some people, whether they’re honest people or not,” he said.
In the early hours of 9 September 2025, Phillips was confronted by police after a break-in near Marokopa.
During the chase, he allegedly shot and injured an officer. Police returned fire, killing Phillips at the scene. One of his daughters was found nearby and taken into care.
“It’s been reported that the shooter was fatally shot. They gave first aid at the scene. A rescue helicopter was called in. Unfortunately, it’s been reported that he died on the scene.”
All three children have now been located and are safe, and police say support services are being provided.
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