Dezi Freeman: The Hunt | Ep 3 | The force that never gave up
06/05/2026 | 21 mins.
The hunt for Dezi Freeman wasn’t just a manhunt. It was a battle on hostile ground. Police moved into a community that didn’t trust them, didn’t want them there, and in some cases, openly opposed them. As tensions rose, investigators pushed on, determined not to lose their grip on the case. In this episode, 7NEWS journalist Michael Usher and Crime Editor Cassie Zervos reveal the resilience of the officers who stayed the course, and the deeply confronting evidence they uncovered, including allegations of child sex abuse and hundreds of child exploitation files found on Freeman’s computers. Dezi Freeman: The Hunt is a 7NEWS and LiSTNR co-production. Listen to the podcast on Secrets We Keep or watch the vodcast on 7Plus. CONTENT WARNING: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS REFERENCES TO CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE, GUN VIOLENCE AND SUICIDE. LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dezi Freeman: The Hunt | Ep 2 | Inside the operation
04/05/2026 | 22 mins.
Once police received the tip-off that exposed Dezi Freeman’s hideout, they moved in — quietly. For seven days, officers hid in dense bushland, watching the remote property, waiting for the moment to strike. They knew Freeman had already evaded capture once. If he ran again, they might not get a second chance. 7NEWS journalist Michael Usher and Crime Editor Cassie Zervos take you inside the high-stakes surveillance, the planning behind the takedown, and the risks facing officers on the ground, as they closed in on one of Australia’s most wanted fugitives. Dezi Freeman: The Hunt is a 7NEWS and LiSTNR co-production. Listen to the podcast on Secrets We Keep or watch the vodcast on 7Plus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dezi Freeman: The Hunt | Ep 1 | The final 24 hours
02/05/2026 | 19 mins.
7NEWS Crime Editor Cassie Zervos was at home with her newborn when a police source gave her a scoop: Australia’s most wanted fugitive, Dezi Freeman, had been found and shot dead. She became the first journalist to break the story. Freeman, a self-described ‘sovereign citizen’, had been on the run for seven months after allegedly killing two police officers. What followed was one of the largest and most intensive manhunts in recent Australian history. 7NEWS journalist Michael Usher and Crime Editor Cassie Zervos take you inside the case from every angle — what happened, how it unfolded, Freeman’s ideology, and the impact on those left behind. Dezi Freeman: The Hunt is a 7NEWS and LiSTNR co-production. Listen to the podcast on Secrets We Keep or watch the vodcast on 7Plus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Introducing Dezi Freeman: The Hunt
30/04/2026 | 1 mins.
When two police officers were shot dead in regional Victoria, the man accused vanished into the bushland. What followed was one of the most extensive manhunts in Australian history. 7NEWS journalist Michael Usher and Crime Editor Cassie Zervos take you inside the case from every angle: what happened, how it unfolded, his ideology, and the impact on those left behind. Dezi Freeman: The Hunt, is a 7NEWS and LiSTNR co-production. Listen to the podcast here or watch the vodcast on 7+. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Children in the Pictures Bonus: Jon Rouse, the man behind Taskforce Argos
27/04/2026 | 53 mins.
With the crisis of child exploitation gripping Australia, for the next few weeks, Secrets we Keep feed brings you the LiSTNR award-winning series, Children in the Pictures, an investigative podcast about the global fight against online child exploitation, following Australian investigators as they track offenders hiding in plain sight across the internet. The series exposes the scale of abuse, the emotional toll on those working to stop it, and the disturbing ways technology is being used to harm children worldwide. In this bonus episode of The Children in the Pictures, Jon Rouse reveals he had no idea what he was getting into when he joined Taskforce Argos to set up their first internet investigation. What he found was a problem so vast and unique that he needed to petition for legislation to catch up with the crimes his team was fighting. If you'd like to hear more of Brent Sanders interviewing detectives about their careers, search "Crime Insiders" and look for episodes titled 'Detectives'. Content Warning: This series delves with sexual abuse against children. Listener discretion is advised. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Each season, Secrets We Keep investigates a different Australian secret.
Dezi Freeman: The Hunt (Season 11): Sovereign citizen Dezi Freeman, disappears into the Australian bush after shooting and killing two police officers, triggering a massive nationwide manhunt. This compelling six‑part investigation explores his radicalisation, the extraordinary pursuit culminating in him being discovered in a shipping container, and the lasting impact on the officers and families involved. Hosted by Michael Usher and Cassie Zervos.
The Children in the Pictures (Season 10): is an 8 part series hosted by Australian documentary-maker and father of two Akhim Dev, that powerfully examines how child abuse has become endemic online, and what we can all do to fight it.
Secrets We Keep: Uncovered (Season 9): takes you inside some of the most important investigations of our time, with our expanding network of journalists and sources from around Australia and beyond. Every week, Uncovered pulls back the curtain on the stories powerful people hoped would stay buried, by speaking directly to those who lived and breathed them.
Jailbreak (Season 8): Journalist Tim Elliott details the extraordinary story of Darko Desic, a fugitive who lived for 30 years on the Northern Beaches of Sydney.
Lone Actor (Season 7): Joey Watson traces the radicalisation trajectory of the Christchurch terrorist, asking the question - did he really act alone?
By Any Means (Season 6): An investigation into the modern fertility landscape, confronting complex questions about consent, identity and human rights.
Should I Spit? (Season 5): The origin story of the multibillion dollar consumer DNA industry. From police hoping to solve cold murder cases, to one of the most powerful churches in the world, everyone seems to want a piece of what makes you, you.
Pray Harder (Season 4): investigative journalist Richard Baker uncovers the unbelievable and compelling true story of Australia’s oldest and most hard line Pentecostal Church, the Geelong Revival Centre.
Baghdad Nights (Season 3): Richard Baker takes you inside Australia's biggest corruption scandal, finding out how Australia funded a dictator in the lead up to the Iraq War.
Nest of Traitors (Season 2): Joey Watson is pulled into the world of espionage, attempting to track down an Australian spy who turned to work for the enemy during the Cold War.
Shame Lies & Family (Season 1): A mystery photo of Amelia Oberhardt’s mum exposes the practice of shotgun marriages, forced adoption, and quiet abortions carried out in Australia until the 1980s.
Australia