A tight-knit community is starting to fracture under the pressure of a drawn-out hunt for an accused murderer, with no end in sight or clue when visitors will return to the popular tourist region.

Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart died while serving a warrant to Dezi Freeman at Porepunkah, about 300km northeast of Melbourne, on August 26.

Freeman was last seen fleeing into bushland and hundreds of police have been scouring the area to find him.

The Alpine area would usually be preparing for an influx of visitors over the upcoming school holidays, but visitors had stayed away during the search, Bright and District Chamber of Commerce president Marcus Warner said.

"The community is starting to now get a little bit fractured in so

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