The search for accused gunman Dezi Freeman entered its 14th day on Monday as Victoria Police prepared to farewell Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, who was killed during an August 26 operation at Freeman's rural property in Porepunkah.
Ten officers attended the property in the Victorian High Country on Aug. 26 to execute a search warrant related to historic sexual-assault allegations involving a minor when police say Freeman opened fire. Detective Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, 35, were killed and a third officer was wounded. Authorities have described the response that followed as one of the largest manhunts in Victoria’s history.
Detective Thompson was scheduled to be farewelled at the Victoria Police Academy Chapel in Glen Waverley on Monday morning with full police honours, followed by a private cremation. Mourners were asked to make donations to Police Legacy in lieu of flowers. Senior Constable de Waart-Hottart was accorded a funeral service at the same chapel on Friday.
Police have intensified searches of surrounding bushland since the shooting, combing caves, old mine shafts and dense terrain for signs of Freeman, 56, who is accused of fatally shooting the officers while the warrant was being executed. A A$1 million reward has been offered for information leading to his arrest, but as of Monday morning police reported no confirmed sightings.
A search warrant was also executed at Freeman’s home on Thursday, during which officers seized computers, cameras and other items, Victoria Police said. Heavily armed specialist teams have been involved in the operation, and officers have been methodically clearing properties and the broader landscape.
Authorities initially suggested Freeman may have been assisted by people in the local community but later said there was no evidence pointing to a specific person currently aiding him. Police did not provide a location update for Freeman or publish details about the wounded officer’s condition beyond confirming an injury sustained during the incident.
Family and community members have offered varying accounts of Freeman’s recent behaviour. Father Tony Shallue, the priest at Our Lady of the Snows — the parish where Freeman and his wife and younger children were regular attendees — told media that Freeman had appeared “agitated” at mass two days before the alleged shootings and that his movements seemed “jagged.” Father Shallue said he first noticed a change in Freeman’s demeanour when Pope Francis died on April 21 this year.
Freeman’s son, Koah, provided an interview to Australian press outlets over the weekend, saying his father had skills suited to surviving in harsh rural conditions but that he believed his father was “probably dead.” Koah described his father with terms used by others in the community, but did not elaborate on Freeman’s whereabouts or on any involvement in the alleged killings.
Police have urged anyone with information to come forward and have continued to canvass the local area, speaking to residents and checking properties. Investigators also sought to reassure the public that, while the operation remains urgent, steps have been taken to limit risk to the broader community.
The Aug. 26 deaths prompted an outpouring of support across Victoria, with hundreds of officers attending memorials and vigils for the slain colleagues. Investigations into the circumstances of the shooting and the events that led to Freeman’s disappearance remain active, with state and specialist police units coordinating the search and forensic examinations of seized materials.
As search operations continue, police reiterated that they will provide updates when new information is confirmed. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities continue to ask for public assistance in locating Freeman and in piecing together the sequence of events that led to the ambush and subsequent manhunt.