Markets 
Updated ,first published
Two people have been arrested as part of the investigation into the movements of police killer Dezi Freeman.
Police on Tuesday afternoon confirmed two men, a 48-year-old and a 45-year-old, had been arrested at separate locations in Victoria’s north-east.
“The pair will now be interviewed by police. The investigation remains ongoing and as such we are not in a position to provide further details at this immediate time,” police said.
After killing Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart on August 26 last year, Freeman fled into the bush with one of their stolen guns, sparking the largest manhunt in Victoria’s history.
More than 200 days later, on March 30, surprise intelligence led police to a remote hideout in Thologolong, near the NSW border, where Freeman was shot dead by heavily armed tactical officers.
On Tuesday, some locals who were raided during the early manhunt for Freeman told this masthead they were bracing for police to come knocking again as detectives now hunt for those who may have helped the skilled bushman evade authorities for so long.
Jim Rech, a former friend of Freeman’s from the area, did not know who had been arrested but said a police drone had been spotted surveilling his own property last month in the middle of the night. “And I hadn’t seen Dezi in nearly four years,” he said.
A man and a woman were arrested in April in relation to the Freeman manhunt, but they were both later released without charge, pending further inquiries.
The latest arrests on Tuesday come just a day after new details were revealed at the Coroners Court of Victoria during two separate directions hearings into the three deaths.
State coroner Liberty Sanger was on Monday told that on August 26, 2025, 10 police officers attended the Porepunkah property where Freeman was living with his wife and their young children to execute a search warrant as part of an investigation into allegations of historical child sexual abuse.
At the time, Freeman was a person of interest in connection with an alleged sexual assault of a child aged under 16 and attempting to involve a child in the making of child abuse material.
What followed was a fatal shootout, after Freeman armed himself with a shotgun and opened fire, killing two officers and injuring two others, one seriously.
An inquest for the slain officers has been earmarked for March. A separate inquest will be held for Freeman with a date yet to be determined.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
Sherryn Groch is a journalist at The Age covering crime. Email her at s.groch@nine.com.au or contact her securely on Signal @SherrynG.70Connect via X or email.From our partners
Read the full article here
