Victoria Police have launched a fresh five-day search for cop killer Dezi Freeman in Mount Buffalo National Park, focusing on a gunshot heard minutes after the deadly ambush that left two police officers dead.
More than five months after the shootings at Freeman’s remote Porepunkah property, detectives from Taskforce Summit say the sound of a single gunshot, reported shortly after the attack, has become the centre of renewed investigative efforts in Victoria’s High Country.
More than 100 police officers and volunteers entered the national park early on Monday and will conduct extensive and systematic searches across new areas of dense bushland over the coming days. A specialist cadaver dog from New South Wales, trained to locate human remains, has also been deployed.
Detective Inspector Adam Tilley said police were continuing to examine three possibilities: that Freeman is dead, is being harboured by others, or has escaped the region and is surviving alone.
“Finding Freeman, dead or alive, remains our number one priority,” Detective Insp Tilley said, adding that the case continues to have a profound impact on both Victoria Police and the local Porepunkah community.
Freeman, described as a sovereign citizen, shot dead Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart on August 26, 2025. A third officer was wounded and a fourth narrowly escaped after Freeman’s firearm failed to discharge.
The officers were part of a group executing a search warrant over historical allegations of child sexual abuse when Freeman opened fire before fleeing armed into surrounding bushland.
Despite multiple large-scale searches across the Alpine region, including the use of cadaver dogs and aerial support, Freeman has not been located. Hundreds of campsites, caves and properties linked to his associates have already been searched.
A $1 million reward for information leading to Freeman’s location remains in place. Police say locating Freeman’s body, if he is deceased, would provide vital closure to the families of the slain officers.
