A 58-year-old woman from New South Wales was arrested on Friday, July 17th, 2026, in Bairnsdale, Victoria, as part of an investigation into the movements and support network of Desmond "Dezi" Freeman. Freeman was killed by police in March 2026 following a seven-month manhunt after he fatally shot two police officers near the Victorian hamlet of Porepunkah in August 2025.

Victoria Police confirmed the arrest in a statement, noting that detectives from Taskforce Summit are continuing to probe Freeman's activities while he was a fugitive. Several individuals have been arrested since Freeman's death as part of efforts to determine if he received assistance during his time on the run, though some were released without charge.

The arrested woman will now be interviewed by police as investigations into Freeman's support network remain ongoing. Freeman was shot dead during a confrontation with police at a rural property in Thologolong on the Victoria-New South Wales border.

Sources