A local has provided a chilling perspective on alleged cop killer Dezi Freeman, suggesting that he could survive in the wilderness for weeks as an extensive manhunt is underway.
Freeman, 56, continues to evade capture after allegedly killing two police officers and injuring another at his property in Porepunkah, located in Victoria’s high country, on Tuesday.
Victorian Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush disclosed that over 450 officers from three different states have been deployed as the significant search extends into its fourth night in adverse conditions.
Despite temperatures expected to drop to -4C with pouring rain on Friday night, those who know Freeman said it won’t deter him from evading capture.
Misty-Rose Wilson, 33, is the general manager at Porepunkah Pub, which reopened its doors for the first time since the shooting on Friday afternoon.
She has known Freeman for six years and described him as an ‘associate’, after the pair bonded through a common interest in survivalism.
She has shared her concern for Freeman’s plight – but believes he went too far.
‘Is there sympathy for him? There is sympathy for Desi’s family. Is there sympathy for Dezi? I can’t 100 per cent answer that,’ Ms Wilson expressed to the Daily Mail.
Porepunkhah publican Misty-Rose Wilson revealed the extent of Freeman’s bush skills
Dezi Freeman remains on the run after allegedly murdering two cops on Tuesday
Special Operations Group officers are battling horrible weather conditions in the high country
She revealed that Freeman can shoot at astonishing distances and has a raft of other bush skills at his fingertips.
‘He is a very skilled hunter,’ Ms Wilson said.
‘He has long-range and short-range arms, but in deer hunting, you need to maintain a considerable distance. It’s around 150m to 200m,’ she explained.
‘He is a gifted hunter and has really, really good aim. If he wants to shoot something, he’s going to shoot it.’
Ms Wilson, who is herself experienced in bushcraft, revealed Freeman is not only an experienced shooter but understands more primitive bush weaponry.
‘Out there, you might not need rifles or guns necessarily, but you’re utilizing the tools and resources available,’ she told the Daily Mail.
She added that he is known to use snares, which are traps made using wire or rope fashioned into a noose, usually used for hunting game.
As more wild weather approaches Mt Buffalo, Ms Wilson is not worried Freeman will find the conditions unsurvivable.
Ms Wilson opened her pub’s doors to the public foe the first time in four days on Friday
Freeman is a gifted survivalist and can survive for 17 days without food
The Porepunkah Pub hopes to feed hungry police if the search continues into next week
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said help from SA and NSW cops is on the way
‘Listen, someone who knows the terrain up there probably already has a space where they can be away from the rain and the mud,’ Ms Wilson said.
‘If you didn’t have the sorts of resources he does, you would struggle. The temperatures drop dramatically when the sun goes down. A normal person couldn’t survive it.’
Ms Wilson said that Freeman would ‘100 per cent ‘ be conditioned for the night’s elements.
‘He’ll be alright out there tonight,’ she said.
‘It depends on his state of mind, and how far he’s travelled in the past 48 hours to three days. If he’s travelled far, it’s going to be tough on him. If he’s been locked down, he’s got energy.’
As an experienced survivalist, Ms Wilson said people like her and Freeman test their limits and know they can go for at least 17 days before experiencing ketosis.
‘We can last without food and just water for 17 days before our body will start to eat itself,’ she explained.
‘That’s what we (people like us) want to know – the limits of our bodies and how much they can do. I am sure Dezi knows his limits.’
Ms Wilson described him as ‘eccentric but approachable’ when she first met him.
His descent from local eccentric to suspected cop killer has rocked Porepunkah, a town home to 1,000.
Ms Wilson heard there may have been problems with his wife, Mali, describing it as a ‘decline in his home life and whatnot’.
Air and ground searches continue around Mount Buffalo
Police have been hampered by extreme weather in recent days
Ms Wilson said the town is divided over the situation, but no one agrees with Dezi Freeman’s alleged actions. Pictured is Dezi Freeman
‘We’ve heard his missus and him may not still be together,’ she speculated.
Daily Mail has been unable to confirm this claim.
‘So, whether there’s that or there are other contributing factors… I can imagine there are multiple things that have happened to him to get him to this point,’ she said.
Despite feeling ‘sympathy’ for Freeman’s plight, Ms Wilson did not condone his alleged actions.
She said the town is ‘divided’ over the issue.
Drinkers returned to the comfort of their local watering hole on Friday, three days after the town was plunged into lockdown.
Ms Wilson threw open the doors on Friday evening, with about 30 punters – including the nation’s media – escaping the dreary weather over a schooner.
‘My main concern has been the safety of the staff and the community,’ she said.
‘We are supporting Victoria Police and once their food trucks leave, the pub will be supplying them with food. We are here for the community and for VicPol.’
Police have been attempting to flush out Freeman in the dense bushland around Mount Buffalo since Tuesday morning, when he fled, heavily armed, after allegedly shooting dead two policemen and wounding another.
Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, 35, lost their lives in the deadly ambush.
On Thursday night, Freeman’s wife Mali and 16-year-old son were arrested at a home in Porepunkah.
They were questioned by police before being released.
Commissioner Bush hasn’t ruled out charges.
