Shortcut: Dezi Freeman Dead After Months in Hiding

Summary

Australian True Crime
Episode: Shortcut: Dezi Freeman Dead After Months in Hiding
Release Date: April 1, 2026
Host: Meshel Laurie
Guest: Holly Hales, Chief of Staff at the Australian Associated Press

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Episode Overview

This episode examines the dramatic case of Dezi Freeman, a fugitive who was shot dead by police after spending seven months in hiding. Freeman, associated with the sovereign citizen movement, first made headlines in August when he killed two police officers in rural Victoria. Host Meshel Laurie discusses the timeline of the manhunt, the complexities of the case, and the wider issues of anti-government extremism with journalist Holly Hales. The discussion covers Freeman’s background, the police response, misconceptions about the sovereign citizen movement, and the path ahead for the legal system.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Background of the Case ([00:00]–[01:43])

• Desi Freeman became a fugitive in August last year, after killing two police officers at his family’s home in Porpunka, Victoria.
• Freeman was wanted on serious historical child sex offence warrants.
  • Meshel Laurie clarifies:

    "This wasn't a man who was being persecuted for no reason... Very serious allegations against Desi." ([01:27])

• During the confrontation, Freeman fatally shot two officers and injured a third, then disappeared into dense bushland.

The Victims: Remembering the Officers ([01:55]–[02:21])

• The two slain officers: Detective Leading Senior Constable Neil Thompson, nearing retirement, and Senior Constable Vadim Dewart Hortat, recently relocated from Belgium.
  • Holly Hales reflects:

    "Neil was in the last week of his policing... Vadim, who was from Belgium, was actually only up there for a short stint." ([01:58])

Understanding Sovereign Citizens and "Cookers" ([02:21]–[03:44])

• The term “sovereign citizen” describes people who reject the legitimacy of governmental authority and law.
  • Holly Hales explains:

    "People who feel like the laws of the land don't apply to them... this term's kind of come a bit more to the forefront over the past six years since COVID." ([02:37])

• The movement became more prominent during the COVID pandemic: anti-vax, anti-lockdown sentiments.
• Meshel Laurie admits:

  "I'm inclined to ignore that lifestyle... But then a Desi situation makes you realize, oh, I actually have to take an interest in these people." ([03:15])

The Manhunt: Myths, Uncertainty, and Survival ([03:44]–[05:20])

• The search for Freeman lasted seven months, involving speculation, confusion, and community anxiety.
  • There were widespread assumptions that he had died in the bush, compounded by harsh conditions and a gunshot heard soon after his disappearance.
  • Holly Hales details:

    "Police actually came out... their working theory was that he was dead... there was really, really cold temperatures up in Pura Punkah. It's very thick bushland, very mountainous." ([04:08])

• Many disappearances have occurred in the region, even among experienced bushwalkers.

The Final Standoff in Walwa ([05:20]–[08:01])

• Freeman ultimately resurfaced 156km away, near the Murray River in Walwa.
  • Holly Hales expresses skepticism:

    "How could someone walk that far, you know, on a straight road? I think I'd struggle doing that. But he's seemingly gotten from Porpunka to Walwa and there's so many unanswered questions." ([05:43])

• Police maintained heavy surveillance, with ongoing roadblocks. The final confrontation occurred at Tho Farm.
• Details of the standoff:
  • Police surrounded the property with armored vehicles and had eight snipers in position ([07:11]).
  • The standoff lasted approximately three hours.
  • Freeman was armed with one of the slain officers’ service revolvers.
  • Police attempted negotiations for peaceful surrender, which Freeman refused.
    • Official statement:

      "There was an appeal to encourage the person to come out... There was an opportunity for him to surrender peacefully, which he did not." ([08:04])

Aftermath and Legal Proceedings ([08:35]–[09:28])

• The legal process will now shift to a coronial inquest, a mandatory step for police-related deaths. Further inquiries or commissions (like the recent Bondi terrorist attack) may follow depending on findings.
  • Holly Hales provides context:

    "It could take multiple years, it could take a year to pull everything together... With Aaron Patterson, that happened in July 2023... the trial didn’t start till May 2025." ([08:43])

Media Coverage and Reporting Ethics ([09:28]–[10:33])

• Holly Hales explains the Australian Associated Press (AAP)’s role as an independent newswire—vital for unbiased reporting.

  • "People often ask me, Holly, where do you get, like, non biased news? Oh, my, guys, I work for a newswire... just access the app." ([10:06])

  • "Our main... difference is that it’s just straight news." ([10:28])

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Memorable Quotes

• Meshel Laurie:

  "This wasn't a man who was being persecuted for no reason... Very serious allegations against Desi." ([01:27])

• Holly Hales:

  "People who feel like the laws of the land don't apply to them... this term's kind of come a bit more to the forefront over the past six years since COVID." ([02:37])

• Meshel Laurie:

  "A Desi situation makes you realise, oh, I actually have to take an interest in these people." ([03:15])

• Holly Hales:

  "How could someone walk that far, you know... he's seemingly gotten from Porpunka to Walwa and there's so many unanswered questions about how that happened." ([05:43])

• Police Statement:

  "There was an opportunity for him to surrender peacefully, which he did not." ([08:04])

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Important Timestamps

• [00:00] - Introduction and summary of the case
• [01:27] - Allegations against Freeman and context for police action
• [01:55] - Remembering the officers killed
• [02:37] - Definition and context of sovereign citizens
• [03:44] - Start of manhunt and community speculation
• [04:08] - Police and public assumptions on Freeman's fate
• [05:43] - Unanswered questions about Freeman’s trek to Walwa
• [07:11] - Details of police operation and standoff
• [08:04] - Police statement on the standoff outcome
• [08:43] - Discussion on the inquest and legal proceedings
• [10:06] - Accessing unbiased news through AAP

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Tone and Approach

The episode is investigative and respectful, marked by the host’s candid curiosity and Holly Hales’ factual, disciplined reporting. Both emphasize the seriousness of violence against police and the complexity of anti-government movements, balancing public interest with sensitivity to victims and their families.

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This summary captures the timeline, emotional register, and broader implications of the Desi Freeman case, providing useful context for those interested in the intersection of true crime, extremism, and small-town Australia.

Transcript

[A]

This is Australian True Crime with Michelle Laurie. Earlier this week, fugitive Desi Freeman was shot dead by Australian police after seven months in hiding. Freeman had been on the run since August last year when he shot and killed two police officers at his rural Porapunka property before disappearing into dense bushland. Police say the 56 year old linked to sovereign citizen ideology died following an hours long standoff after refusing to surrender. Today we examine what we know so far about the case, the manhunt and the broader concerns around anti government extremism. With Holly Hales, Chief of Staff at the Australian Associated Press. This is Australian True Crime. We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which this podcast is created, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung People of the Kulin Nation and a warning. This episode of the podcast contains graphic descriptions of violence.

[B]

So it started last August, late August. If you're in Victoria, you know that's almost like the, the crest of spring up in the high country. So there's a town called Pura Punkah, which is near Bright, which is a very popular tourist town, beautiful part of the state, extremely dense bushland. And 10 police go out to Desi Freeman's house. It's a property that he lived with his family on and they had a warrant regarding historical child sex offenses.

[A]

I think that's really important to, you know, reiterate that this wasn't a man who was being persecuted for no reason. There weren't police rocking up because he was of his political beliefs or anything like that. Very serious allegations against Desi.

[B]

Essentially a shootout happens, unfortunately, two officers are shot dead and a third is seriously injured and Desi disappears into the bush, essentially.

[A]

So who were the two officers who were killed that day?

[B]

So we had Detective leading Senior Constable Neil Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim Dewart Hortat. Neil was in the last week of his policing, long policing career. He was about to retire up in the high country where he lived with his partner. And Vadim, who was from Belgium, was actually only up there for a short stint, so. So he was just helping out Nia Wangaratta.

[A]

Oh my goodness. Before we go any further, we should probably sort of define cookers slash sovereign citizens. I don't even know what do people of Desi's ilk call themselves? Like who are these people?

[B]

So a lot of them are self described sovereign citizens, which is a term that's kind of come a bit more to the forefront over the past six years since COVID started. And that's people who feel like the laws of the land don't apply to them despite living in, you know, society. But yeah, sovereign citizens, as I said, were kind of came more into the public consciousness during COVID Anti vaxxers, anti vax, anti lockdown. Yes. We had a couple in the news cycle over that period of people, you know, they get Covid fines and they were like, I am a sovereign citizen, I don't need to adhere to this while driving on, you know, a taxpayer funded road. Which is interesting, but there's all that. Right? Yeah.

[A]

So to people like, it just seems insane, it just seems dumb. But then a Desi situation reminds us, cause I'm inclined to ignore that lifestyle, to just go, I'm not interested in any of that rubbish. But then a Desi situation makes you realise, oh, I actually have to take an interest in these people. So then when Desi went missing, went on the run, of course. It's been how long now? It's been a year.

[B]

Seven months.

[A]

Seven months. See, it feels longer. So it's been seven months of this conjecture debate. Even today, people still saying to me, I thought he was dead, no, I knew he was alive and all that kind of stuff. What was the, as far as, you know, what was the vibe in terms of police and people really in the know and involved? Did they assume like a lot of people that Desi's dead?

[B]

Mm. Yeah. So police actually came out a couple of months ago now and they said that their working theory was that he was dead. Essentially the context of that was that a single gunshot was heard soon after Desi went into the bush. So they had assumed that it was a self inflicted gunshot and then he had died. And in addition to that working theory, which seemed pretty solid, at least according to them, was that the night that and the days following that this happened, there was really, really cold temperatures up in Pura Punkah. And I feel like it's a really important part of the story to just for people to visualize what that part of Australia is like. It's really thick bushland, it's very mountainous, it's hard to go out there. You can't even really walk that far unless you're like, you know, an experienced bushman or whatever.

[A]

As I said earlier, there's been a lot of disappearances.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

In that place. And a lot of them would have been just bushwalkers who got lost and never found.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

It's very dense.

[B]

Yeah, completely. So like, if you think about someone who maybe wouldn't have had the skills that someone like Desi Freeman Would have had. They wouldn't have survived very long. So I think a lot of people just assumed maybe he was. Was taken by the elements or as the police said, there was a self inflicted gunshot wound.

[A]

The actual, what do we call it, the confrontation that happened this week.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Tell us where it happened.

[B]

So there is a region up near the Murray River. The town is called Walwa or the area is called Walwa. And that's about 156km by foot from where Desi went missing, so.

[A]

Oh, that's interesting as the crow flies.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So like quite a hike. And like we were doing some research at work yesterday about how could someone, again, this is all unanswered questions still, but like how could someone walk that far, you know, on a straight road? I think I'd struggle doing that. But he's seemingly gotten from poor Apunka to Walwa and there's so many unanswered questions about how that happened.

[A]

And as you said at the time, certainly there was lots of roadblocks and things like. Cause my immediate thought is, well, probably in the back of someone's ute actually. But then when you see say, you know, remind me that at the time and even since then there's been a lot of police and they would have been watching the roads very carefully and all that. So what happened when they arrived at his. What's it called? Is it Tho Farm?

[B]

Yeah, Tho farm, yeah. So it's in a town called like Thalagong, but the area is like Walwa. So police arrived at the property, we believe around Sunday evening. And that's just going off. What Mike Bush said in a press conference, he said that police had been on scene for 24 hours. But the actual, I guess standoff started on early Monday morning, about 5:30 or 6:00 in the morning.

[A]

A dawn ride.

[B]

Yeah, a dawn ride, if you will.

[A]

Yes, I love a dawn ride. Yeah.

[B]

And essentially Desi was I guess, made aware that they were there and a similar incident kind of to the original one ensued in that he was armed, police were obviously armed. But in this instance, Desi ended up being shot dead.

[A]

I mean, I read they had a perimeter of armored cars, armored vehicles around there. They had eight snipers in position before obviously they ever let him know that they were there. So no chances this time.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. Yep, yep. And I think it's also important to know that like, or for people to just be aware that like in instances like this, like, it is very personal for police. Again, these are their kind of brothers in arms that have been killed doing the job that every police officer does. So it is kind of. They does have that personal component in terms of like righting the wrong that has happened clearly to the members of the force.

[A]

Yeah. So he was armed in the end, I believe, with one of the service revolvers from the police that he killed seven months ago. How long did the. I'm assuming there was a standoff. I'm assuming it wasn't fast, that he just came running out with. Yeah. This police gun. Yeah. How long?

[B]

So we think it was about three hours. Yeah.

[C]

There was an appeal to encourage the person to come out. We're examining the sequence of events and we'll be able to report on that. But it did result from a standoff, the deployment of tactics. He then exited the building. There was an opportunity for him to surrender peacefully, which he did not.

[A]

So what's the way forward now? You've mentioned a couple of times there'll probably be an inquest and all these sorts of things. How long does it take for these wheels to turn?

[B]

Now you were to think with something like this, it could take multiple years, it could take a year to pull everything together. Obviously there will be a lot of police resources pumped into this. Fair enough. There's two police officers have been, you know, very sadly murdered here. But it could take any length of time. I think your listeners would probably know with Aaron Patterson, that happened in July 2023. I think they died and the trial didn't start till May 2025. Yeah, so. And that was a fast track trial. So, like, that was two years. So this could take a year, it could take two. And I think there has to be a coronial inquest if there's police for police related death. But whether or not there'll be additional kind of hearings in terms of, you know, with the Bondi terrorist attack in December, they're having a raw commission into that. So it's like there could be additional processes to go.

[A]

Yeah, I never thought of that. And you're right, there's two police related shootings in this story. Now, Desi shot two police and then in the end, the police shot him. So for those reasons, the coroner has to look at everything. Okay, well, thank you so much. And where can we read your stories?

[B]

Yeah, so I work at Australian Associated Press aap. It's Australia's national newswire. So we are essentially a news wholesaler. We are on the ground in every story. Essentially poor punka up there right now in court every day. We just cover crime across Victoria and the rest of Australia.

[A]

So oftentimes when we read a story, we'll see up the top. Aap. Or can we access just aap?

[B]

Yeah, yeah. So we have an app which. Yeah, I know, very, very new age, but, yeah. So readers can just go straight to the source, essentially. And people often ask me, holly, where do you get, like, non biased news? Oh, my, guys, I work for a newswire. Like, please, just access the app. Aap.

[A]

That's a good point. Non biased. So you're not. Yeah. You're not owned by a corporation or.

[B]

No, no, no. Yeah.

[A]

That has an editorial policy about anything.

[B]

Yeah. So our main, I guess, difference is that it's just straight news.

[A]

Just news, yeah.

[B]

Straight news, yep.

[A]

Thanks for joining us on Australian True Crime. If you would like any more information about anything you've heard on the show today, or support numbers, just check out the show notes.

[C]

The producers of this podcast recognise the traditional owners of the land on which it's recorded. They pay respect to the Aboriginal elders, past, present and those emerging.