The parents of Tom Phillips, who vanished with his three children into the New Zealand wilderness in 2021, have made a public apology - their first comments since their fugitive son was shot dead by police a month ago.
We would like to send our sincere apology... for all the trouble, inconvenience, loss of privacy and property caused by Tom, Neville and Julia Phillips wrote in a letter published on Thursday.
We are truly sorry for all that you had to endure.
Mr. Phillips, who disappeared with his children in part due to a custody dispute, evaded capture for nearly four years, despite a nationwide search and multiple sightings.
We in no way supported him or agreed with any of his actions in the past four years, Neville and Julia Phillips said in the letter published in King Country News, a small community newspaper.
Their son was killed in a shoot-out on 8 September, during which a police officer was also seriously injured. The officer has since been discharged from hospital, local media reported.
One of Mr. Phillips' children was with him during the shoot-out and later helped locate his two other children. Prior to their disappearance, they were living in Marokopa, a rural town in the Waikato region surrounded by dense bush.
Mr. Phillips was known as an experienced hunter, utilizing the difficult terrain to evade authorities for years. Police stated their main goal during this operation was to locate and safely return the children and were aware of the potential threat posed by Mr. Phillips.
Amid ongoing investigations, police could not provide further details. Ultimately, the Phillips family previously made public appeals for him to return home.
His sister Rozzi expressed her enduring support for her brother during a television interview, while their mother Julia shared her daily hope for their safe return in a heartfelt letter.
