No proof of life: Police reveal ‘strong belief’ suspected double killer Dezi Freeman is dead

Police have revealed they have no proof that suspected double police killer Dezi Freeman is still alive, and have returned to Victoria’s High Country in a hunt for his body.

More than 100 officers have descended on an area of dense bushland in Mount Buffalo National Park for a five-day search, guided by evidence from a key witness who says they heard a single gunshot about two hours after the fatal ambush in August.

As revealed by The Age in November, police have carried out acoustic testing near the Buckland River to try to pinpoint where the shot may have been fired.

Detective Inspector Adam Tilley, of the summit taskforce, said investigators had confirmed that gunshot noise had echoed through the area at 12.29pm on August 26.

Tilley said the witness report had been “corroborated by other parts of the investigation”.

Based on that evidence, and the fact that there have been no confirmed sightings or proof of life of Freeman since, Tilley said the latest search was being undertaken to try to locate his body.

“We don’t believe that he is still in the area alive,” Tilley said.

“We have done extensive searching of the caves, the mines, the huts, the rivers. We are comfortable that we don’t believe he is here alive; however, we are keeping an open mind that that is a possibility.

“We do believe strongly that he is in this area, deceased.”

During an operation in November, taskforce summit officers stationed across properties near the Rayner Track used acoustic equipment to record test fires from different weapons to try to narrow down where the single shot might have come from.

While up to 30 shots using different calibre guns were fired during the controlled testing, Tilley on Monday said specialists had been unable to confirm which gun the noise came from on the day of the shootings.

Specialist units, air support and a cadaver dog will join the targeted search of an area – measuring 1.3 square kilometres – of terrain behind the Rayner Track property where Freeman was staying in August.

“It’s not going on a bushwalk … it is extremely challenging. It is steep, it is thick, dense bush,” Tilley said of the search conditions.

“At parts you don’t even know where you step in, you have to be extremely careful. We’ve got the state or the country’s best here helping us on this occasion.”

Tilley said he hoped the latest search would help bring answers and closure.

“We hope to find something, find him, find some [sign], maybe an item of clothing,” he said.

“We hope to have answers this week but, if we don’t, this is the No.1 priority for Victoria Police.

“We are dedicated. We are motivated. We’ve lost two colleagues and have a third member that’s seriously injured. We will not stop.”

In December, police spent five days combing nearly one square kilometre of dense bushland and caves, and this week’s search will move to adjoining terrain.

The investigation is being led by the homicide squad following the murders of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, who were shot dead on August 26 while executing a search warrant at Freeman’s property.

A third officer was shot in the lower body and seriously injured, and continues to recover.

Detectives have examined more than 2000 pieces of intelligence, including tips from the public, in the hunt for Freeman, but police have been unable to locate him.

Tilley said although this week’s search was focused on finding Freeman’s body, investigators remained open to all possibilities.

“The second scenario that we’re exploring is he’s been able to escape the area and he’s being harboured by a person or people,” he said. “And the third scenario that we’re exploring [is] that he has left the area and he’s on the run, unassisted, and he just hasn’t been located.

“I urge anyone, if they do see Freeman, please do immediately contact Triple Zero. We currently have a million-dollar reward.”

Victoria Police confirmed they have spoken to Freeman’s wife, Mali Freeman, but would not reveal further details about how co-operative she had been.

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