A new Daily Mail theory about how Dezi Freeman escaped and where he could be hiding now has prompted police to search a new area of bushland.
Senior reporter Jonica Bray believes Freeman may have kayaked down the fast-flowing Buckland River as a means of escape after ten officers descended on his compound in Porepunkah, 300km northeast of Melbourne, on August 26.
The new theory emerged after Daily Mail discovered a YouTube account belonging to the self-proclaimed sovereign citizen.
In one of the three videos uploaded to the account, Freeman is seen kayaking down the Buckland River, which runs along the perimeter of his isolated compound.
‘He is a very experienced and skilled kayaker,’ Bray said on Friday.
‘He covers rapids with his canoe… and it wouldn’t be out of the question that Freeman kept his own canoe right here on the riverbank where it could be easily accessed from his bus.’
Bray explained the kayak would have allowed Freeman ‘a much quicker escape’ than trekking through dense bushland into the mountains on foot.
Just hours after Daily Mail shared the new theory, a police helicopter was seen flying over the Buckland River on Saturday morning.
Freeman uploaded a YouTube video of himself kakaying down the Buckland River in early 2021
Just hours after Daily Mail shared the new theory, a police helicopter was seen flying over the Buckland River on Saturday morning (pictured)
The Buckland River runs along the perimeter of Freeman’s property in Porepunkah
It comes after Freeman’s secret hiding hole was revealed in a social media post four years ago, but its exact location still remains a mystery – and not even his closest family members know where it is.
The remote location, hidden deep in the rugged slopes of Mount Buffalo, is where detectives now believe Freeman could have vanished after allegedly gunning down two officers.
The area – dubbed ‘Buffalo Creek’ by Freeman – does not appear on any map searches of the region, and the only proof it exists is in a single photograph obtained by Daily Mail.
As the manhunt for the self-proclaimed sovereign citizen moves into its third week, investigators are urgently trying to track it down, convinced it could have been his secret refuge from the authorities.
‘He wouldn’t tell any of us exactly where it was and I have no doubt he headed there,’ one of Freeman’s most trusted sources told Daily Mail in an exclusive interview.
‘I know the details have been provided to the police but, before all of this, no one we know has ever been able to find it.
‘He is fiercely protective over that location and I wouldn’t be surprised if he had taken tubs of essentials up there long before (the alleged incident) and has them stashed already.’
Daily Mail also understands investigators are now working with Meta in a desperate bid to gain access to Freeman’s multiple social media accounts to find fresh leads, as the 450-strong manhunt continues with seemingly no real progress.
Detectives now believe Freeman have have vanished to a remote sanctuary in the mountains
About 450 police officers and the Australian Defence Force continue to hunt for Freeman as the search enters its third week
Freeman’s alleged refuge is believed to be hidden deep within the rugged slopes of Mt Buffalo
While Freeman used his Facebook, which has public posts, to condemn and attack police and authorities, his Instagram paints a different picture of the father-of-three.
Locked from prying eyes, access to Freeman’s Instagram page is only for his family and lifelong friends. Within it, he shared his passion for nature and loving photos of his children.
It was here that Freeman is understood to have often spoken of his secret spot, a place he made a point of keeping as his most tightly guarded secret.
One single photo posted in 2021 now offers the vital clue that police desperately need.
Along with a photo of an unusual rock pool formation high in the mountainous terrain against a backdrop of thick forest, Freeman wrote:
‘My happy place. Buffalo Creek. Here I am me, I am in my element, I am connected, I am where I belong, I am who I am.’
About 450 police officers and the Australian Defence Force continue to hunt for Freeman as the search enters its third week.
The two officers shot dead during the confrontation last month, 59-year-old Neal Thompson and 35-year-old Vadim De Waart-Hottart, have both been laid to rest.
Police have also searched more than 100 properties in the surrounding towns and have received hundreds of tips and pieces of new information since announcing a $1million reward.
