In a bombshell development that has left Victoria Police reeling, a previously anonymous woman known only as “Sarah M.” has stepped forward with a harrowing account of coming face-to-face with Australia’s most wanted fugitive, Dezi Freeman, deep in the unforgiving wilderness of Mount Buffalo National Park—months after authorities declared him likely dead.

The 38-year-old solo hiker, an experienced bushwalker from Melbourne, claims the encounter occurred just three weeks ago during a multi-day trek through remote trails rarely visited even by locals. Speaking exclusively to Global Shock News under strict conditions of anonymity for her safety, Sarah described a moment that still haunts her dreams.

“I was setting up camp near one of the old mine shafts off the main fire trail when I heard rustling—too deliberate to be wildlife,” Sarah recounted, her voice trembling. “Then he stepped out from behind a eucalyptus tree. It was him. Dezi Freeman. Gaunt, bearded, eyes wild like a cornered animal. He was holding what looked like a rifle—one of the ones stolen from the officers that day. He didn’t speak at first. Just stared. I froze.”

According to Sarah’s detailed testimony, which she says she has now provided to detectives in a sworn statement, Freeman appeared disoriented and malnourished but eerily calm. “He asked me if I was ‘one of them’—meaning police or government informants. When I said no, he lowered the weapon slightly but kept his finger near the trigger. He ranted about sovereign rights, how the system had ‘murdered his freedom,’ and how the forest was his only true ally. He claimed he had ‘friends’ watching from the ridges, ready to strike if anyone came looking.”

The most disturbing part? Sarah alleges Freeman showed her a makeshift shelter hidden in a cave system—complete with stockpiled canned food, a small fire pit, and what appeared to be police-issue gear. “He had maps marked with escape routes leading toward New South Wales. He said the gunshot everyone heard back in August was a ‘decoy’—fired into the air to throw off the search dogs. He laughed about it. Said he’d been living like a ghost, moving only at night.”

Sarah claims she talked her way out of danger by pretending to sympathize with his anti-government views. “I told him I hated authority too, that I understood. He seemed to buy it. After about 20 minutes, he let me leave—but warned me not to tell anyone. ‘They’ll never find me unless I want them to,’ he said. I ran for hours until I reached a ranger station and called triple-zero.”

Investigators, sources close to the case tell us, are taking the testimony “extremely seriously.” A senior detective, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that forensic teams have already been dispatched to the described cave location. “If this is legitimate—and we’re running every verification possible—it flips our entire understanding. We had strong reason to believe he was gone. No sightings, no activity, cadaver dogs turning up nothing. But this changes the game.”

The $1 million reward for information leading to Freeman’s capture remains active, and police have not yet commented publicly on Sarah’s claims. However, whispers in Bright and Porepunkah suggest panic is setting in among residents who thought the nightmare was over.

Freeman, 56, a vocal sovereign citizen ideologue with a history of online threats against law enforcement, allegedly gunned down Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and another officer on August 26, 2025, during a routine warrant execution at his Porepunkah property. A third officer was gravely wounded. Freeman fled into the dense bushland, sparking the largest manhunt in Victorian history.

For months, authorities insisted there was “no proof of life,” pointing to a reported single gunshot heard roughly two hours after the initial shooting—widely believed to be self-inflicted. Renewed searches in early February 2026, involving over 100 officers, cadaver dogs, drones, and ballistic analysis, yielded no new traces.

But Sarah’s story paints a different picture: a cunning survivor who faked his death, evaded thermal imaging and scent trails, and continues to lurk in the shadows. “He looked thinner, almost skeletal,” she said. “But the hatred in his eyes? That was the same as the photos. He’s not done yet.”

The families of the slain officers have yet to respond to the claims, but one close relative told us off-record: “If he’s alive, we want him dragged out in cuffs. No easy way out.”

Is Dezi Freeman truly still out there, watching, waiting? Or is this the latest in a string of hoaxes plaguing the case? As police scramble to verify every detail of Sarah’s chilling encounter, one thing is clear: the ghost of Mount Buffalo may not be at rest after all.

Stay tuned for updates. If you have seen anything suspicious in the high country, contact Crime Stoppers immediately.