Victoria Police has launched a fresh five day search of rugged alpine bushland in north east Victoria, as investigators say there is a strong possibility fugitive Dezi Freeman is dead somewhere in the Mount Buffalo area.
Freeman has not been seen since police allege he shot dead Neal Thompson and Vadim De Waart Hottart during the execution of a warrant at a property near Porepunkah on August 26, 2025.
A third officer was seriously injured and Freeman is alleged to have fled on foot into thick bushland leading towards the national park.
The new operation is focused on intelligence linked to a gunshot reported not long after the fatal incident with police saying the sound was later corroborated and helped narrow the likely search area.
Search teams, drones and cadaver dogs are being used to cover steep terrain and dense scrub with more than 100 police and volunteers involved.
Detective Inspector Adam Tilley from Taskforce Summit said investigators were still working through several possibilities including that Freeman died soon after he ran into the bush that he is being harboured or that he escaped the area and has survived alone.
Police continue to treat Freeman as armed and dangerous while the search continues.
A $1 million reward remains on offer for information that leads to Freeman’s arrest or location and police have repeated warnings that anyone helping him could face serious consequences.
Police have urged anyone with relevant information to come forward including people who were in the high country around the time of the shooting as the renewed push aims to finally resolve one of the state’s most significant manhunts.
