Police are considering arrests of suspected associates who assisted Desmond Freeman in avoiding police capture in the seven months he went on the run.

Speaking after a memorial service in Bright which marked one year since the tragic deaths of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said evidence regarding alleged associates to Freeman was being reviewed by police and the state prosecution office.

“We know who they are, and we're working through the evidence to ensure that they are held to account,” he said.

In the months following Freeman’s death on 30 March 2026, police made a number of arrests across North East and New South Wales properties in relation to the 56-year-old’s movements in the seven months he went undetected by authorities.

All those arrested were interviewed and released.

Giving a closing address at both Bright and Wangaratta memorial services, Chief Commissioner Bush referred to Freeman as an “alleged pedophile”.

The execution of the search warrant at a Rayner Track property where Freeman was located on 26 August last year, came after Wangaratta police obtained information of an alleged sexual assault of a child under 16 years old and the alleged possession of child abuse material.

Chief Commissioner Bush said there had been further “technical” evidence gathered by detectives following the shooting which led to police considering Freeman as an alleged pedophile.

“And I can't understand why anyone would want to support such a person,” he said.

Both the deaths of the police officers on 26 August 2025 and Freeman on 30 March 2026 remain under separate coronial investigations.

A Coroners Court spokesperson said there were currently no further hearing dates scheduled for the investigations.

A directions hearing for both matters was held before State Coroner Liberty Sanger in May.