In a bombshell development that has reignited one of Australia’s most intense manhunts, Victoria Police arrested Koah Freeman, 20, the eldest son of fugitive Dezi Freeman (also known as Desmond Filby), at approximately 9 a.m. this morning. Koah is accused of assisting his father in evading capture following the August 26, 2025, Porepunkah shootings that left two police officers dead and a third seriously injured.
Detective Inspector Sarah Langford of Victoria Police’s Homicide Squad confirmed the arrest during a hastily convened press conference in Wangaratta:
“This morning’s operation was the culmination of months of covert surveillance. Koah Freeman has been charged with assisting an offender and hindering police investigations. He was taken into custody without incident at his residence in Bright. We believe this arrest brings us significantly closer to resolving the whereabouts of Dezi Freeman.”
The breakthrough stemmed from police secretly installing a GPS tracker on Koah’s vehicle shortly after his father’s disappearance. Investigators monitored his movements nightly, noting patterns of late-night drives into remote areas of the Alpine region. The tipping point came four days ago when Koah drove a suspicious 13-km route along back roads near Mount Buffalo National Park. CCTV footage from a rural intersection captured him pulling over, exiting his car, and approaching a dark-colored ute parked in the shadows. When enhanced images were analyzed, officers were stunned: the ute bore unmistakable modifications matching descriptions from earlier witness statements—roof racks loaded with survival gear and a distinctive dent on the passenger side, consistent with vehicles linked to Freeman’s pre-shooting activities.
Police sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that the ute was empty at the time of the stop, but forensic teams recovered partial fingerprints and DNA traces from the door handle and interior. These matched samples from Dezi Freeman’s known belongings seized during the initial raid on the family property. Additionally, a discarded water bottle inside the vehicle tested positive for Freeman’s DNA profile.
Koah, who had previously spoken publicly in September 2025—offering condolences to the slain officers’ families and describing his father as “Rambo times ten” capable of surviving indefinitely in the bush—has remained silent since his arrest. His lawyer issued a brief statement: “My client maintains his innocence and will vigorously defend these charges. This is a family in profound grief, and we ask for privacy during this difficult time.”
Background to the enduring manhunt Dezi Freeman, 56, a self-proclaimed sovereign citizen with a long history of anti-government views, allegedly opened fire on ten officers attempting to serve a search warrant related to historic sexual assault allegations at his converted bus home in Porepunkah on August 26, 2025. Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart (35) and Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson (59) were killed; a third officer survived serious wounds. Freeman fled into the dense bushland of Mount Buffalo National Park, sparking the largest and most expensive manhunt in Victorian history—costing millions and involving helicopters, drones, cadaver dogs, and over 1,000 personnel at peak.
A $1 million reward—the largest ever offered in Victoria—remains active for information leading to Freeman’s arrest. Despite extensive searches, including a renewed five-day operation in early February 2026 using cadaver dogs and ground-penetrating radar, no confirmed trace of Freeman has been found since the initial flight. Police have repeatedly stated they “strongly believe” he is deceased, possibly from self-inflicted gunshot (based on reports of a single shot heard 90 minutes to two hours after the incident) or exposure in the harsh alpine terrain.
Yet theories persist: some locals and online commentators speculate Freeman is being harbored by sympathetic sovereign citizen networks or has escaped the area entirely. Koah’s earlier interviews fueled these ideas—he insisted his father could “survive weeks without food” and urged him to “turn himself in” if alive.
Family under scrutiny The Freeman family has been in the spotlight since day one. Wife Mali Freeman (42) and the couple’s 15-year-old son were arrested briefly in late August 2025 during a raid, interviewed, and released without charge. Mali has faced potential charges for obstructing police (she fled the scene with the younger children and met Koah shortly after the shootings), but no formal charges have been laid as of today. The youngest child, around 3-5 years old, has been shielded from media.
Koah, who moved out of the family home about a year before the incident, returned to work shortly after the shootings and publicly distanced himself from his father’s actions. In interviews with Daily Mail and other outlets, he expressed fear that Dezi might already be “laying dead” in the bush and sent condolences to the victims’ families. Today’s arrest marks the first time a family member has faced serious charges directly tied to aiding the fugitive.
Public reaction and next steps News of Koah’s arrest spread rapidly, with #DeziFreeman and #KoahArrested trending on social media. Families of the slain officers expressed cautious optimism. Neal Thompson’s sister told ABC News earlier this month that “death would be too good” for Freeman, emphasizing the need for justice. Victims’ support groups have called for thorough investigation into any assistance provided.
Police confirmed Koah will appear in the Wangaratta Magistrates Court tomorrow morning. Bail is expected to be opposed due to flight risk concerns. Meanwhile, the search for Dezi Freeman continues, now with renewed focus on areas Koah frequented during his monitored drives. Forensic analysis of the ute and any digital devices seized from Koah’s property is underway.
For a family already fractured by tragedy, this latest twist adds layers of pain and accusation. Whether Koah’s actions were deliberate aid or coincidental remains to be proven in court. But for the first time in months, investigators have a tangible lead—not in the bush, but in the quiet streets where a son’s loyalty may have crossed the line.
The question now looms larger than ever: Is Dezi Freeman still out there, hidden and alive? Or has the trail finally led back to the family he left behind?
