Dezi Freeman’s family painfully asked: Why did no one call them during 3 hours of negotiations with the fugitive?
As Dezi Freeman’s loved ones try to piece together the shattered life that followed his violent death, a haunting question continues to torment them.
Mali Freeman and her eldest son Koah spent seven months convinced that the father of three had committed suicide. They were completely shocked to learn that he was still alive, just a few hours away, before being shot dead in a hail of bullets.
The family is now left with only torment: Can hearing the voice of his wife, son or brothers again convince Freeman to surrender?
“No one called them until it was all over,” a close family friend told the Daily Mail. “Obviously, asking them for help was never in the police’s plan, because they would have to be taken away in advance and mentally prepared. You can’t suddenly give someone such a responsibility.”
The end of the biggest hunt in Victoria’s history
The incident occurred on the morning of March 30, 2026 at a remote property at Thologolong, near the town of Walwa in north-east Victoria, approximately 150-188 km from the original crime scene in Porepunkah.
This is considered the largest tactical police operation in Australian history. More than 450 officers participated in the seven-month (216-day) manhunt.
Those close to Freeman will never know whether this deadly confrontation could have ended differently. They were left with only questions: Would a single call to his wife, son or brother be enough to break the deadlock?
Even a close friend of Freeman’s, Bruce Evans – who claimed he was in almost daily contact with Freeman before he fled – volunteered to assist in future negotiations.
The tragic context begins in August 2025
It all started on the morning of August 26, 2025. A team of 10 police officers, including the child sex abuse investigation team, served a search warrant at Freeman’s home in Porepunkah, near Bright, north-east Victoria.
During the confrontation, Freeman allegedly opened fire, killing two officers: Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson (59) and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart (35), and seriously injuring a third officer. Freeman then robbed a victim of his weapon and disappeared into the dense woods of Mount Buffalo National Park.
Immediately after, a single gunshot was heard. Police and family initially believed Freeman committed suicide just hours after the incident.
Koah’s son admitted that he had accepted the reality that his father was probably dead. By February 2026, Victoria Police also publicly expressed their strong belief that Freeman had committed suicide. They organized a massive five-day search operation with more than 100 officers and volunteers in a specific area of ​​Mount Buffalo, hoping to find a body.
But the reality is completely different. Freeman traveled about 188km northeast, surviving a fierce bushfire that swept through the Upper Murray region in January 2026.
How Freeman miraculously survived the forest fire
As the forest fire raged, the Walwa area was completely evacuated. The property where Freeman is hiding is marked as “unoccupied.” Only when the fire was under control did rescue workers discover “unusual activity” at the farm.
Freeman is believed to have been hiding in a converted shipping container that was half container and half caravan on a 35-hectare plot of land. Landowner Rick Sutherland was in Tasmania at the time and claimed to have absolutely no idea Freeman was there, nor had any connection to the “sovereign citizen” movement that Freeman was said to support.
Big question about police negotiation protocol
Under Australian police protocols, negotiators are trained to contact relatives and anyone who can assist in a hostile environment. They often set up a “communication cell” (dedicated communication group) to manage the situation.
However, in this case, the police appear to have decided not to involve anyone outside the task force. Freeman’s family believes that if called, they could have helped persuade him to surrender without bloodshed.
“He didn’t need to die,” some relatives expressed anger. They wondered whether the police’s tactics were too tough, especially since Freeman had survived harsh conditions: raging wildfires, extreme heat, then cold, and living in a cramped container.
Currently, the Coroner (judicial investigator) is leading an independent investigation into the entire incident. Police are also investigating whether anyone assisted Freeman during his seven months on the run. Recently, two people were arrested in connection with the case.
A reward of A$1 million for information leading to Freeman’s arrest is being asked for after a tip-off from the public.
The pain of two families
The incident left immense pain for both sides. The families of the two dead officers are struggling with their loss, and some of the victims’ relatives are even considering suing Victoria Police over its initial handling.
Meanwhile, the Freeman family faces a dual torment: the loss of a loved one and the suspicion that a simple phone call could have changed everything.
Dezi Freeman, 56, was once familiar with the Victorian highlands. He is described as a skilled lumberjack, an outlaw in his own way. Despite being accused of serious crimes, those close to him still emphasize that he is not an “extremist supporter” as some media describe.
Lessons from the longest hunt
The Dezi Freeman case raises many big questions for Australian law enforcement:
Should involving family in crisis negotiations be a mandatory standard? Do negotiation protocols need to be reconsidered in cases where the subject is someone familiar with wilderness terrain? How to balance officer safety and the opportunity for a peaceful conclusion?
For the Freeman family, those questions will probably never have satisfactory answers. They only know that, for three long hours in the remote area near Walwa, not a single familiar voice was allowed to ring out to change the tragic outcome.
Dezi Freeman’s story is more than just the story of a dramatic hunt. It is a tragedy of choices, gaps that cannot be bridged, and pain that neither side can easily heal.