Victoria Police are poring over what could be a crucial lead in the investigation into how Dezi Freeman, the notorious double cop killer, survived in hiding for seven months before being gunned down on Monday morning.
Freeman was located in a white shipping container at a remote property on Murray River Rd, near Thologolong on the Victoria–NSW border. Officers from the Special Operations Group (SOG) engaged in a tense three-hour standoff starting around 5.30am, eventually using a BearCat “claw” and stun grenades to force the fugitive out. Freeman, wrapped in a blanket and armed with a gun stolen from one of his victims, was reportedly shot more than 20 times, leaving him described by a source as looking like “Swiss cheese”.
The focus of the investigation has now shifted from the manhunt to a more pressing question: was Freeman truly alone?
Crime scene investigators have uncovered a series of potential clues pointing to possible assistance. Images show the container surrounded by overturned boats, trucks and an assortment of domestic items – deck chairs, cooking utensils, fold-out tables, a portable barbecue and plates – suggesting he may have had company.
Perhaps most telling are the improvised air-conditioning vents on the container’s roof, accompanied by a ladder propped nearby. Detectives are now tracing who purchased and installed these systems, which could indicate deliberate help in keeping Freeman alive during the sweltering Victorian summer.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said the investigation would focus on anyone who may have assisted Freeman.
“It would be very difficult for him to get where he was without assistance,” Mr Bush said. “It is very important for us to understand how long he’s been here and who else was complicit in getting him here and then caring for him or providing him with food and other things to this point.”
Police have warned that anyone found to have assisted Freeman could face up to 20 years in prison. Detectives are meticulously working backwards, hoping that the purchase of air vents, ladders and other survival equipment could provide the lead they need to uncover Freeman’s shadow network.
As the investigation continues, the shipping container remains a grim testament to the fugitive’s final months – and possibly the first hint of someone else who enabled one of Australia’s most infamous manhunts.
Images: 7News
