The search operation at Mount Buffalo National Park, located near Porepunkah, is set to begin today. This area is close to where the fugitive was last observed.
Meanwhile, a third officer who was gravely injured is still on the path to recovery.
The police officers involved were part of a unit carrying out a search warrant on Freeman’s premises. This was linked to an investigation led by the Wangaratta Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team.
Previously, Mount Buffalo National Park was the center of intense police activity, with a thorough search conducted over five days in December as part of the effort to locate Freeman.
The current search will concentrate on sections adjacent to the area explored during December’s operation.
Authorities plan to utilize canine and drone units, as well as a cadaver dog team from the New South Wales Police, to aid in the search.
Both this week’s search and last December’s are based on intelligence police received relating to a gunshot heard a short time after the Porepunkah shooting on the morning of August 26.
Police say there is no specific intelligence to suggest Freeman, a self-proclaimed “sovereign citizen”, is being assisted by somebody in the local community, but it remains a possibility.
A $1 million reward has been posted for information leading to his arrest – a first in Victorian history.
“This incident, which resulted in the deaths of Neal and Vadim, continues to have a significant impact on both Victoria Police and the Porepunkah community more broadly,” Detective Inspector Adam Tilley said.
“It remains our number one priority to locate Freeman and the extensive and systematic searches conducted over the past five months are testament to this.”
He said police remained conviced information from the community would be crucial to the case and urged anybody with any knowledge to come forward.
“This could be anything you have heard about Freeman’s actions on the day or the shooting or his current whereabouts, or anything you may have seen in the Mount Buffalo National Park area that you think is suspicious or could be connected to Freeman,” he said.
“If you do have any information, then I urge you to contact police or Crime Stoppers and as always, this can be done confidentially.”
Meanwhile, anybody who sees Freeman is urged not to approach him but to call Triple Zero immediately.
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