It would be nice if they shared details of the original custody dispute, this guy could be Robinson Crusoe or Robbin hood.....
After some googling I cant find details on the original court decision
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillips_family_disappearances
Phillips had been separated from his wife Catherine for several years and was homeschooling the children.He is an experienced hunter and camper. The Phillips family has farmed in the area for generations.
believe that the children were taken by their father to a location somewhere in the western Waikato, "within Marokopa or the surrounding areas” after a dispute with their mother.
So the custodial parent of several years, had a dispute with the non-custodial parent, and left for the wilderness. That's all anybody will say