Speaking to the media at 2pm, Acting Deputy Commissioner Russell Barrett said the search for Freeman was hampered by the near-impenetrable alpine bushland around Porepunkah.
The Age’s science report Liam Mannix and crime columnist John Silvester have spoken with local hunters and police sources to analyse how the search for Freeman could continue to unfold in this harsh terrain.
Here’s a snapshot of their reporting:
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The property where he was living backs on to forests that become part of Mount Buffalo National Park, terrain locals describe as dense and steep, with no easy walking paths.
“Most of it you’re bush-bashing,” said Robert Deeble, who manages a store in Mansfield and regularly hunts in the area. “Even as an experienced hunter, it’s tough going.”
Freeman is also an experienced bushman, so Deeble estimated that he might be able to travel 10 to 15 kilometres a day through the area.
A source with knowledge of police special operation tactics, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, said officers had to assume Freeman had prepared for the attack.
That could mean he had various camps within the forest, and had prepared further ambushes.
Instead of pushing into dense bushland, where Freeman would probably be able to detect them, they were likely to wait him out, the source said.
Read their full story here.
Read the full article here
