Victoria Police Withhold Body Release Details After Cop Killer Shot Dead

Victoria Police have declined to provide information regarding the release of Dezi Freeman's body to his family. Freeman, aged 56, was fatally shot by officers on March 30 during a siege at an off-grid compound in Victoria's northeast. This occurred seven months after he had killed two police officers and gone on the run.

Freeman had been located by police at Tholo Farm near Walwa, where he had fled from the previous year. Footage indicated he emerged from a converted shipping container and produced a firearm, leading to the fatal shooting. His body was subsequently transported for formal identification.

The Coroners Court of Victoria states a body is typically released within five to seven days, pending necessary examinations. A coronial investigation is expected to examine the seven-month manhunt, the deaths of the two officers, and Freeman's final moments.

Freeman's son, Koah, shared an emotional message on Facebook, expressing his grief and condemning online commentary, stating he did not condone his father's actions but was affected by public reactions. Freeman had gone missing on August 26 the previous year after fatally shooting Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, while a third officer was injured.

The two officers had been attempting to serve a warrant related to historic sex crime allegations on Freeman, whose real name was Desmond Filby. The search for him involved extensive police resources across difficult terrain.