Just weeks ago, from the foothills of the mountains Dezi Freeman had disappeared into months before, police told the world they strongly believed Australia's most wanted man was dead.
The well-known conspiracy theorist and self-described sovereign citizen had escaped into dense bushland near the small Victorian town of Porepunkah in August, immediately after shooting and killing two police officers who had come to search his home in relation to historical child sex abuse offences.
But on Monday morning, Australia woke to the news that Freeman had been found alive after one of the largest manhunts in Australian history - only to have been killed in a standoff at a remote farm where he had set up camp.
His death has brought a semblance of closure to some of those affected, surfaced complicated feelings in others, and raised many questions.
Not least among them: where had Freeman spent the past seven months - and did he have help?
Pre-dawn raid shocks town
Police had spent at least 24 hours staking out the ramshackle campsite on a property in Thologolong, a town near the Victorian/New South Wales border, before calling on Freeman - real name Desmond Filby - to surrender.
We gave him every opportunity to come out peacefully and safely. He didn't take that option, Victoria Chief Commissioner of Police Mike Bush said.
After three hours, Freeman came out of one of the three old shipping containers at the camp at around 8:30 local time (22:30 Sunday BST), bearing a gun stolen from the slain officers. He was shot by multiple police snipers simultaneously, local media have reported, citing police sources.
It was a shock for locals – including the elderly farmer who owns the land, according to his family.
How did police find Freeman?
When Freeman first vanished, there was huge focus on his skills as a bushman. Friends and locals said he knew the mountains like the back of his hand and was capable of surviving off-grid.
This was one of the reasons police struggled to find him after the shooting, says Dr. Vincent Hurley, a former police hostage negotiator who now lectures on policing at Macquarie University.
Police sources have told local media that Freeman's arrival in Thologolong appears to be recent, raising further questions about how he managed to elude law enforcement for so long.
As the investigation continues, authorities are keen to learn who, if any, assisted him in getting away from Porepunkah. If anyone was complicit, they will be held accountable, Police Chief Bush stated.
The circumstances of Freeman's death have left the community and investigators with more questions than answers, with the tragic conclusion to the saga likely to haunt many for years to come.
