By Blessing Nweke

Police in Victoria say they believe fugitive double-murderer Dezi Freeman has been shot dead following an hours-long standoff, ending a seven-month manhunt that gripped the region.

According to Victoria Police, a man thought to be the 56-year-old emerged from a makeshift structure at a rural property in the state’s northeast on Monday morning, armed and wrapped in a blanket. Officers opened fire after he failed to surrender peacefully.

Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said formal identification is still underway but expressed hope the development would bring some closure. “Our ultimate goal was to arrest the person,” he said, noting that opportunity had been given.

Freeman had been on the run since August, when he fatally shot two officers—Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart—at his property in Porepunkah. The officers had been investigating unrelated allegations when they were ambushed.

The search for Freeman involved extensive operations across rugged bushland near Mount Buffalo, with authorities offering a A$1 million reward and deploying specialist teams, including cadaver dogs.

Officials said no officers were injured in Monday’s operation, which will undergo a standard independent review.

Investigators are now focusing on whether Freeman received assistance while evading capture. “If anyone was complicit, they will be held accountable,” Bush said.

Freeman, who subscribed to anti-government “sovereign citizen” ideology, had a history of confrontations with authorities. His death was described by the Police Association of Victoria as “a step forward,” though it emphasized the trauma of the killings remains.

Families of the slain officers have been notified as the investigation continues.