Ninety days have passed since what should have been a routine warrant service in Victoria's high country turned into a deadly ambush that left two police officers dead and launched Australia's largest ever manhunt for alleged cop killer Dezi Freeman.
The experienced bushman has completely vanished without trace since the August 26 shooting at his Porepunkah property, despite an unprecedented search operation involving specialist teams, drones and extensive ground coverage.
The Chilling Revelation
A friend of Freeman has now revealed the fugitive's disturbing mindset in the months leading up to the shooting. The source told The Australian that Freeman had vowed he would 'do anything rather than be caught by police' and even threatened to take his own life if cornered.
'He had his own form of spirituality,' the friend explained, adding that Freeman was 'Rambo, ten times over' - comparing him to the fictional Vietnam War veteran known for his survival skills and combat prowess.
As Freeman fled the property after the alleged murders of officers Vadim de Waart-Hottart and Neal Thompson, those close to the family say he told his 42-year-old wife Mali he would 'see her in heaven' and urged her to run. She fled carrying their three-year-old child along nearby Barrett Lane.
Massive Manhunt Operation
The search for Freeman represents the largest tactical policing operation in Australian history, yet police remain no closer to determining whether he is dead, alive, being harboured, or even still in the state of Victoria.
Special Operations Group teams have scoured countless caves, mine shafts, huts and rugged terrain around Freeman's wilderness retreat near Mount Buffalo. Despite this massive effort, there have been no confirmed sightings of the experienced bushman since August 26.
Earlier this month, specialist police conducted firearms testing in the Porepunkah area, firing up to 30 shots from various weapons to replicate a gunshot heard by a witness about 20 minutes after the deadly ambush.
Victoria Police Crime Command Assistant Commissioner Martin O'Brien has made a fresh appeal for public assistance, confirming investigators have examined more than 1,700 pieces of intelligence including numerous public tips.
Conflicting Theories Emerge
Speculation that Freeman may have taken his own life intensified last month when his brother, James 'Jimmy' Filby, posted on social media that he believed Freeman was dead somewhere on Mount Buffalo.
Mr Filby expressed hope that his brother was 'now at peace' but feared he spent his final hours 'cold, lonely, fearful'. Local reports of police deploying drones in the area have further fuelled speculation they may be searching for signs of a body.
However, criminal psychologist Tim Watson-Munro has complicated the suicide theory, suggesting that Freeman's apparent narcissism makes self-harm unlikely.
'This is a bloke who thinks he's above it all,' Watson-Munro told The Australian. He added that it was possible Freeman had stored food and supplies in the bush and might be 'so full of himself' that he wouldn't want to end his life.
Never-before-seen photographs obtained by the Daily Mail show Freeman handling a lethal tiger snake, demonstrating the elite survival skills that have kept him one step ahead of authorities.
A £1 million reward for information leading to Freeman's arrest remains available, with police urging anyone with information, no matter how small, to contact Crime Stoppers anonymously.
Assistant Commissioner O'Brien acknowledged the investigation has been 'extremely challenging' but emphasised that police remain 'incredibly determined to see this to resolution.'
