How Dezi Freeman evaded manhunt to hide in NSW

By the Editorial Team · Saturday, September 5, 2026

Authorities investigating Dezi Freeman, who killed two police officers last year, have uncovered new evidence suggesting he hid for months in remote bushland south of Sydney while evading capture. This insight is crucial for understanding the support network that aided his extensive interstate movements and for identifying those who helped him avoid arrest.

Authorities have been investigating the movements of Dezi Freeman, the man who killed two police officers last year, and the possibility that he traveled hundreds of kilometers into New South Wales (NSW) while evading capture. New details indicate that Freeman may have spent an extended period hiding in remote bushland south of Sydney during his seven months on the run.

Freeman fatally shot senior constables Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart-Hottart on August 26 last year in Porepunkah, Victoria. Following the killings, a large-scale manhunt involving hundreds of officers sought to locate him across Victoria and NSW. Investigators have since focused on whether Freeman managed to cross state lines and the extent to which he moved within NSW.

In June, three months after Freeman was fatally shot by special operations personnel at Thologolong, near the Victoria-NSW border, law enforcement officials executed a series of raids in the NSW southern tablelands. The search warrants were carried out in remote areas including Wombeyan Caves, Greenwich Park, and Tarlo by officers from a NSW taskforce named Namberta. It remains unclear if the raids uncovered concrete evidence linking Freeman to these locations.

Simultaneous operations were conducted in northeast Victoria at Buckland, Stanley, and Lucyvale. Namberta operates as the NSW counterpart to Victoria Police’s Summit Taskforce, which was established following the police shootings to track Freeman’s whereabouts and investigate his network of support.

Since Freeman’s death, Summit investigators have concentrated on identifying individuals who may have assisted him while he was at large. Authorities believe this support network could involve multiple people, potentially reaching double digits. To sustain himself in the southern tablelands, Freeman would presumably have required transportation, food, and shelter over a significant time.

Officials have reportedly made substantial progress in retracing Freeman’s movements during his final months, shedding new light on how Australia’s most wanted man managed to avoid capture for such an extended period. The ongoing inquiries aim to clarify the scope of assistance Freeman received and the logistics behind his interstate travel during the manhunt.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.