{"id":17916,"date":"2026-02-02T03:15:36","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T03:15:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=17916"},"modified":"2026-02-02T03:15:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T03:15:36","slug":"police-strongly-believe-fugitive-dezi-freeman-is-dead-amid-new-search-of-area-where-gunshot-was-heard-victoria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=17916","title":{"rendered":"Police \u2018strongly\u2019 believe fugitive Dezi Freeman is dead amid new search of area where gunshot was heard | Victoria"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Police suspect fugitive Dezi Freeman died only hours after he killed two officers and fled into bushland, as a major search gets under way in the Victorian high country.<\/p>\n

There has been no proof of life recorded for Freeman since he fled from police near the Mount Buffalo national park about 15 minutes after he allegedly shot dead two officers \u2013 Det Sen Const Neal Thompson and Sen Const Vadim de Waart-Hottart \u2013 in the town of Porepunkah on 26 August.<\/p>\n

Less than two hours later, police said a single gunshot was heard coming from the bushland \u2013 a report that was later corroborated by investigators.<\/p>\n

That report led to police congregating in the region again on Monday morning as they undertook what senior officers said would be the largest Victorian manhunt in history.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are comfortable that we don\u2019t believe he is here alive, however we are keeping an open mind,\u201d Det Insp Adam Tilley said on Monday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do believe strongly that he is in this area, deceased.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Tilley said there were three scenarios police were exploring in relation to Freeman: he died near Mount Buffalo by self-harm or misadventure; he escaped the area and was being harboured; or that he has escaped the area and has survived without help.<\/p>\n

The first scenario was supported by reports of a gunshot at 12.29pm on 26 August near where Freeman was last seen.<\/p>\n

The sound was reported by a member of the public, but that information had been corroborated by police, Tilley said.<\/p>\n

Police conducted firearms testing in the region late last year in a bid to better understand where the shot may have been fired, testing which was used to inform where officers should search this week.<\/p>\n

Drones and cadaver dogs were involved in the five-day search which started on Monday. Tilley said it was expected that more than 1.3 square km would be searched, and that the terrain was exceptionally rugged.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not going on a bushwalk, terrain like this,\u201d Tilley said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is extremely challenging, it is thick, dense bush and at times you do not know where you are stepping so you have to be extremely careful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thompson, 59, was just a week away from retiring when he was killed, while De Waart-Hottart, 34, was on temporary assignment to the area. A third officer was also shot.<\/p>\n

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Freeman was home with his family when police attended the property to serve a warrant in relation to alleged historical sexual offending.<\/p>\n

Investigators in December said they had shifted their search efforts to finding the body of the self-described \u201csovereign citizen\u201d. However, a five-day effort to scour the bush with cadaver dogs and drones yielded nothing.<\/p>\n

Teams on foot also conducted line searches and cleared caves in the heavy terrain.<\/p>\n

Detectives from Taskforce Summit, formed in October, have investigated thousands of pieces of intelligence, including numerous tip-offs from the public.<\/p>\n

People in the area have been advised to remain vigilant and not approach the fugitive, who is considered armed and dangerous, in the event of a sighting.<\/p>\n

Victoria police have offered a $1m reward and the possibility of indemnity for information leading to his capture \u2013 the largest reward in the state\u2019s history for facilitating an arrest.<\/p>\n