‘Fanciful’: Criminologist reveals theories in manhunt for alleged cop killer Dezi Freeman

A criminologist has given an update on the renewed search for alleged cop killer Dezi Freeman, who has been on the run for five months in Victoria’s High Country.

Dozens of officers and dogs scoured dense brush and brush in Buffalo Mountain National Park as part of a renewed five-day search for the alleged cop killer.

The 56-year-old allegedly shot and killed two police officers, Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart, who were trying to serve an arrest warrant on Freeman at a property in the town of Porepunkah on August 26, 2025.

Freeman was last seen running from the west bank of the Buckland River at 10.45am that day and has not been seen since.

The deadly shooting sparked a massive manhunt for the alleged killer.

Witness Jude Wilson, who lives in the area, told police he heard a single gunshot at 12:29 a.m. on the day of the fatal attack.

“The police were passing by. I came here with Nana and I heard an explosion in the background,” he told the SBS podcast.

“They’re shooting in the paddock, but normally with a rifle you hear another explosion. It looked like some sort of homemade shotgun.”

A Victoria Police spokesperson told NewsWire that police confirmed the witness’ statement.

On Tuesday, police reconstructed a single gunshot fired in the area.

Officers would use “exactly the same firearm or similar” to reenact the single gunshot, Macquarie University criminologist Vincent Hurley told NewsWire.

The former police officer said that from there, they can “triangulate this through acoustics and try to find the geographical area where the sound is coming from.”

Doubts over Freeman’s survival

Detective Inspector Adam Tilley told reporters on Monday that investigators believed Freeman was dead as there had been “no evidence of life” since the fatal shooting.

Dr Hurley conceded it was highly unlikely that Freeman was still alive as the new search involved cadaver dogs.

“I don’t think he’s alive – I think he’s dead,” he told NewsWire.

Dr Hurley said the latest heatwave would only increase uninhabitable conditions.

“If he were still alive, dealing with the heat would have really exhausted him, literally, physically and psychologically,” he said.

Wild animals also pose a major risk in the bush.

“If a brown snake bites him, he’ll be dead within a few hours,” Dr Hurley said.

“You know, in geography, it is not just about physical land, there is also competition with animals.”

The terrain that Freeman flees to is also extremely dangerous, especially since there is no access to food and water.

“It was quite rough terrain so he could have fallen and broken his neck,” Dr Hurley said.

“Because he would literally be running for his life on adrenaline, and then if he had consumed all his food, he would have been physically weakened and he could have stumbled and fallen and broken his head or neck or something like that and died.”

Could someone be harboring Freeman?

Although police said they were “comfortable” that Freeman was dead, some suggested he was harbored by members of the public.

However, Dr. Hurley debunked this theory, arguing that the risk of associating with the fugitive was “too high.”

The same can be said for other sovereign citizens.

“Sovereign citizens are alone by their political ideology,” he said.

Unlike neo-Nazis who “follow hierarchy and structure,” Dr. Hurley said sovereign citizens would likely avoid abetting Freeman to remain “independent.”

“In any case, the police would immediately focus on all sovereign citizens, as well as ASIO and the AFP, and go directly to them to check on them and find out what they know,” he said.

Could Freeman have fled the country?

Dr Hurley said it was unlikely Freeman would flee or escape to another country after allegedly shooting police officers dead.

“I think it’s a bit delusional,” he said.

“If he were to run away and go to another country, he would need his passport.” Dr. Hurley explained that the time required to obtain documents required for international travel did not coincide with the alleged shooting.

“So right after he (allegedly) shot these people, he ran into the bush,” he said.

“Police surrounded the area. He would not have the opportunity to return home and get (the passport) or the money. He would not have the resources or means to fly interstate or abroad.”

Dr Hurley said airport security would also be put on high alert.

“It’s quite recognizable when the police put out an airport alert to attract attention – which is really common – and their face is all over the media and news,” he said.

Will the police find Freeman?

The search for Freeman has lasted almost six months and there is little chance he is still alive.

Dr Hurley said finding the remains would be “difficult”, especially given the intense heat and the amount of time that had passed since the fires.

“His body must have been significantly decomposed, maybe not initially, but definitely from the heat, for sure,” he said.

It takes about seven years for a human body to decompose inside a coffin, but this process is much faster when exposed to the elements.

“I don’t think he will be mummified,” Dr Hurley said.

“The heat could have dehydrated him or sucked out all his bodily fluids.”

He said the heat would contribute to the remains “seeping into the ground” and make it harder to locate.

“It will be more camouflaged now that it is half-decayed,” Dr Hurley said.

Wild animals in the area can also make the search difficult.

“There may have been wild dogs there, so they may have eaten some of it, which is not uncommon,” he said.