Fugitive Rodney Clavell used barricades to keep four women hostage in the Adelaide brothel where he was holed up, police have revealed.
The 46-year-old former prison guard and prisoner shot himself dead after a 13-hour siege in the inner-city brothel, after releasing the women on Thursday.
During the siege, police would not confirm the women were hostages, but Assistant Commissioner Paul Dickson on Friday said he could now say they were held against their will.
"They were barricaded at times and Mr Clavell had a firearm," he told ABC radio.
"It would have been quite horrific for that length of time."
Police do not believe Clavell was living at the brothel, but had moved from one location to another during the 17 days he was on the run.
Mr Dickson said police had no direct contact with Clavell during that time, but believed he would have heard their pleas, made through the media, for a peaceful end to the siege.
A television was on when police entered the brothel and found Clavell's body.
Mr Dickson said he expected police would be arresting people over the next few weeks for helping Clavell.
While he was on the run, police believe Clavell assaulted a woman while armed with a shotgun and stole her car on May 25, and made threats to other people.
"Some of those threats were committed with a firearm to receive money to obtain mobile phones and be able to live in these different locations," Mr Dickson said.
"In some degree he was extorting other people in that criminal fringe."
Clavell's death will now be investigated by major crime detectives, who will prepare a report for the coroner.
On May 20, a warrant was issued for the arrest of Clavell, who had a long criminal history, over firearm matters.
Since the warrant was issued, police raided more than 80 premises.
Thursday's siege, which began at 1am, led to the lockdown of parts of the Adelaide CBD near the brothel.
* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.
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