Dreams cut short: slain officers mourned on anniversary

Just days before living out a dream of travel and retirement, Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson's life was violently cut short.

Far from a life of settling down, Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart was just beginning to build a legacy as an extraordinary member in blue.

Ultimately, their journeys came to a tragic end side-by-side at a property in Porepunkah, in Victoria's alpine region, on August 26, 2025.

The pair were gunned down by Dezi Freeman while executing a warrant for his arrest at the secluded property, 310km northeast of Melbourne.

It has been described as one of the "most tragic days in Victoria Police history" by Chief Commissioner Mike Bush.

"Today is a solemn day for every single member of Victoria Police who will no doubt remember this tragedy like it was yesterday," he said in a statement on Wednesday.

Police colleagues and dignitaries will gather in Bright to mark the one-year anniversary of their deaths.

Family members and officers also attended a service in Wangaratta on Tuesday where a monument was unveiled to honour the fallen officers.

Lois Kirk and Dianne Thompson, the sisters of slain officer Det Sen Const Thompson, said the past year had been very difficult.

"We miss our big brother every single day. Neal was fiercely loyal, a natural leader and just as tough as he was soft," they said.

"It's what made him such a good police officer. He followed in the footsteps of our grandfather and never wanted to be anything else. He truly loved his job."

The pair described the past year as hell for their family, and thanked their brother's friends and colleagues.

"Neal was just days away from living out his retirement dream which was full of world travel and adventuring around Australia," they said.

"We are beyond devastated that it has been taken away from him, from us."