Australian authorities have confirmed the death of Dezi Freeman, the man accused of fatally shooting two police officers in Victoria last year, ending a months-long search.

Freeman, a self-described conspiracy theorist, allegedly killed the officers at his rural property in Porepunkah, a small town in Victoria’s alpine region, in August before disappearing into the surrounding bushland. He evaded extensive searches over seven months.

Victoria Police reported that a man was shot following a prolonged standoff at a rural property in the state’s north-east on Monday morning. Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said the individual is believed to be Freeman, 56, though formal identification is pending.

"Today an evil man is dead," said Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan. "It's over."

Police said officers surrounded a structure described as part shipping container, part long caravan, on the property around 5:30 a.m. After a three-hour negotiation with repeated police appeals, the man believed to be Freeman emerged and was shot dead.

Bush told reporters that details remain under review. He said Freeman appeared armed and wrapped in a blanket, possibly carrying a firearm taken from one of the officers he killed in August.

"Our ultimate goal was to arrest the person," Bush said. "There was an opportunity for him to surrender peacefully but he did not."

No officers were injured in the operation, which will undergo a standard review, police said.

Freeman, whose legal name was Desmond Filby, had gained notoriety for his anti-government views and sovereign citizen beliefs, rejecting state authority and laws.

The officers killed in August were Senior Constables Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart. They were conducting a search of Freeman’s property in connection with an investigation into sexual offences when the attack occurred.

Bush said the families of the slain officers were notified first. "Should [his identity] be confirmed… this brings closure to what was a tragic and terrible event."

Residents in Porepunkah said Freeman lived on the property with his wife and two children. Following the killings, police closed off the area, offered a A$1 million (£525,000, $709,000) reward, and scoured the rugged terrain—including caves and old mine shafts—where Freeman, skilled in bush survival, had been hiding.

Police renewed the search last month with cadaver dogs, expressing a “strong” belief that Freeman was dead. Bush said Monday that evidence suggested Freeman may have taken his own life but officers had remained open to other possibilities. He declined to disclose how police located him.

History of Conflict With Authorities

Freeman had multiple prior encounters with law enforcement, which were documented in court records, online posts, and videos. Locals said his anti-government views intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic amid strict Victorian restrictions.

He publicly referred to police as “terrorist thugs,” attempted to arrest a magistrate in court, and in 2021 sought to have then-Premier Daniel Andrews tried for treason, a case that was dismissed.

Authorities had anticipated difficulties during the August property search but opted against requesting specialist units, sending instead ten officers. Thompson, nearing retirement and previously familiar with Freeman, was chosen to lead the visit, hoping to leverage a rapport.

Within minutes of arrival, both Thompson and de Waart were shot and killed. Thompson’s partner described him as the "best husband she'd never had," while de Waart, originally from Belgium, was remembered for his constant smile and humor.

The killings reignited debate over Australia’s approach to anti-government extremist groups, which federal police have identified as having an “underlying capacity to inspire violence.” A similar incident occurred in Queensland in 2022, when three individuals with comparable beliefs ambushed and killed two officers, also killing a bystander.

Helen Haines, the local MP for Porepunkah, said Freeman’s death lifts “a dark cloud” over the town and marks an end to a prolonged tragedy.

John Bird, a close friend of Thompson, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, “It's a good day,” noting that while the outcome “doesn’t change much,” it provides some closure.