Wife of alleged Porepunkah gunman present at time of double shooting, police confirm

The wife of alleged Porepunkah double murderer Dezi Freeman was present at the time of the shooting of two police officers and may face criminal charges, police have confirmed for the first time.

On the ninth day of the massive manhunt for Freeman, who allegedly killed the officers as he was being served a warrant at his home in Victoria’s alpine country, Crime Command Detective Superintendent Jason Kelly told reporters Amalia Freeman was home at the time her husband allegedly opened fire.

It has previously been unclear whether Freeman’s family was present at the time.

Kelly said Amalia, or “Mali” as she is more widely known, had been interviewed by police and may face criminal charges for allegedly obstructing the police investigation.

He said she had not been co-operating with police directly, and they had instead been liaising with her lawyer to try to obtain a statement from her.

“She has been interviewed by Victoria Police for obstructing police at the time of the incident, the crime, that occurred and a brief of evidence will be compiled, and she may be charged in due course,” Kelly said.

In a statement to the media via her lawyer on Sunday, Amalia urged her husband to surrender and anyone harbouring him to come forward. She also expressed her “deep sorrow” over the August 26 deaths of the policemen.

“My children and I grieve for the loss of your loved ones,” the 42-year-old mother of three said.

Amalia, who was arrested and then released alongside her 15-year-old son last Thursday, said she did not hold anti-authority views.

“My children and I respect the important work of Victoria Police,” she said.

However, earlier this week, Superintendent Brett Kahan called into question the level of co-operation she had afforded investigators.

“In respect to the suspect’s wife, what I’ll say [is], it’s two different things to be speaking with police and co-operating [with police],” he said on Monday.

“We continue the search believing that Dezi Freeman, who is suspected of killing two police officers, is alive.

“We are absolutely hunting for a fugitive, and we continue to do so.”

On Wednesday afternoon, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said the public and associates of Freeman had been providing a flood of relevant information to police.

He said more than 100 properties had been searched and police were developing a greater understanding of Freeman’s previously frequented locations in the alpine area and his wide network. The military has also joined the manhunt.

Bush again pleaded for the public to help lead police to the fugitive.

“He does not deserve to be protected. He needs to be in custody, and kept away … from the community.”

When pressed further by reporters on the intelligence police are using in their manhunt, Bush remained tight-lipped.

“It’s quite possible [Freeman] is monitoring all communication, so I’m not going to give away our techniques. This person is armed and extremely dangerous and adds a whole new complexity to this investigation.”

Dezi Freeman, a self-proclaimed “sovereign citizen”, is accused of shooting dead Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, with a home-made shotgun through the door of the bus Freeman was living in.

He is then alleged to have opened a window of the bus and shot Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, who also died at the scene. Another detective seriously wounded in the attack is understood to have hidden under the bus for up to an hour, until paramedics arrived.

Police said officers were at the property to execute a warrant over historical child sexual abuse allegations.

Freeman has not been sighted since, despite hundreds of specialist officers trawling the dense forests, snow-laden mountains and deep valleys of Victoria’s High Country, about 210 kilometres north-east of Melbourne.

Bush appealed to Freeman to surrender, vowing authorities would not give up until he was found.

“I do appeal to the person responsible to hand themselves in immediately, and my message to him is that your destiny is in your hands,” he said.

When asked if police had considered offering a financial reward in the manhunt for Freeman, Bush did not rule it out.

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