Eric Frein

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Eric Matthew Frein
A tweet from the FBI announcing Frein's capture
A tweet from the FBI announcing Frein's capture
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive
Reward$175,000 between FBI and PA government[1]
Description
Born (1983-05-03) May 3, 1983 (age 40)
New Jersey, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
RaceCaucasian
GenderMale
OccupationCashier
Status
Convictions9 charges, including first-degree murder[a]
PenaltyDeath (de jure)
StatusOn death row[b]
AddedSeptember 18, 2014
CaughtOctober 30, 2014
Number503
Captured

Eric Matthew Frein (born May 3, 1983) is an American domestic terrorist[2] and murderer, convicted and sentenced to death for the 2014 Pennsylvania State Police barracks attack[3] in which he shot and killed one State Trooper, and seriously injured another. A letter to his parents made it clear that he hoped to spark a revolution by his actions.[2]

After being identified as a suspect three days after the shooting, Frein was the target of an extensive manhunt before being captured on the night of October 30, 2014, at an abandoned airport 48 days after the attack.[4][5] He was convicted of the ambush in 2017 and sentenced to death.

Early life and education[edit]

Eric Matthew Frein was born on May 3, 1983, in New Jersey. He attended Pocono Mountain High School in Pennsylvania, where he was a top scorer on the school's rifle team.[6] Police described Frein as a "self-taught survivalist" with a grudge against law enforcement personnel.[7] A report on Frein cited his friends saying that, as an Eagle Scout,[8] he was repudiated by the chief executive officer of the Boy Scouts of America Minsi Trails Council at the time, where Frein had worked.[9] Frein also worked at a Lewis' supermarket.[10]

Frein attended East Stroudsburg University for one semester.[11][12] He also attended Northampton Community College (the Bethlehem Township campus and the Monroe County campus) as a chemistry major.[13]

Criminal activity[edit]

In 2004, Frein was charged with burglary and grand larceny after he was accused of stealing items from vendors at a World War II reenactment in Odessa, New York. He failed to attend his trial and was arrested in Pennsylvania as a fugitive from justice.[13] In lieu of $5,000 bail, Frein was held for 109 days in a county jail in New York on a felony charge before pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of possession of stolen property to be sentenced to time served and payment of $3,120 restitution.[14][15]

In 2008, Frein founded Istočni Vuk (meaning "Eastern Wolf" in Serbo-Croatian) whose Myspace page[16] pictured Frein engaged in recreational military simulations dressed in an Army of Republika Srpska uniform. Though he reenacted in a variety of roles, Frein preferred to portray Bosnian Serb soldiers. Fellow reenactors believed this was not based on ideology, but the way that the ragtag look of an ex-Yugoslav field jacket stood out from others. Pennsylvania State Police also believe that Frein made several trips to Southeast Europe. The Eastern Wolves were one of several groups competing in "tacticals" under the umbrella organization "Red Alliance", using replica airsoft rifles with plastic BBs. Frein was viewed as a serious reenactor with a deep knowledge of history; he was meticulous in many details, such as uniforms, but not overly obsessive in others—once even choosing a cheaper Chinese-made replica airsoft rifle over one made in Yugoslavia. Although he looked down on casual participants playing "cowboys and Indians", he was reported to have a sense of humor.[15]

Frein's reenactment landed him several jobs in the film industry. He played a non-speaking role in Lustig, a 16-minute anti-Nazi film where he portrayed a German soldier at Auschwitz. In 2009, he gave technical direction in a World War I documentary being made by Jeremiah Hornbaker, who later offered him several other jobs that he turned down.[15]

In July 2014, Frein told Hornbaker, friends, and parents that he was moving to Delaware to work at a chemical company. Police speculate that he might have taken this time to make the preparations that later would allow him to survive and evade capture.[15]

At the time of the attack on the state troopers, Frein was living with his parents at their home in Canadensis in Barrett Township, Pennsylvania.[17][18][19]

Attack and identification as a suspect[edit]

See also: 2014 Pennsylvania State Police barracks attack

During a shift change late at night on September 12, 2014, outside the Trooper barracks of the Pennsylvania State Police in the Pocono Mountains in the Township of Blooming Grove, Pennsylvania, Frein opened fire with a .308-caliber rifle,[20] killing Corporal Bryon K. Dickson II, a 38-year-old Pennsylvania State Police Trooper, and seriously wounding Trooper Alex Douglass.[13][15][21]

Three days after the shootings, a man walking his dog found a suspicious looking 2001 Jeep Cherokee partially submerged in a retaining pond or drainage basin in a swamp near the intersection of Pennsylvania Route 402 and U.S. Route 6, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) away from the crime scene.[15][21][22] The vehicle was determined to belong to Frein's parents and evidence found in the vehicle included Frein's Social Security card, information about foreign embassies, camouflage paint, and bullet casings matched to the shooting. This led authorities to identify Frein as their only suspect.[20][23] On September 16, 2014, a criminal complaint against Frein was docketed in the U.S. District Court in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and the court issued an arrest warrant the next day.[24]

Authorities speculated that Frein, driving with his lights off on Pennsylvania Route 402, had failed to see a T-junction, lost control of the car, and drove into the swamp, and then may have traveled 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) on foot to Canadensis, Pennsylvania, where his parents live.[25]

Manhunt[edit]

On October 1, following discovery of two pipe bombs, all hunting and trapping on public or private land and all access to state gameland was forbidden in the shaded areas.[26][27] The blue-shaded area was reopened on October 10.[28][29] The green-shaded area was reopened October 21, after two sightings of Frein in Paradise Township, while the yellow remained under the hunting/trapping ban and gameland closures.[30][31]

The police manhunt grew from nearly 200 officers by September 17[23] to 400 officers by September 22[32] to nearly 1,000 on September 24.[33] Law enforcement officers included local police, state police forces from Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut[34] as well as FBI, U.S. Marshals Service; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.[32] Though tracking dogs were regarded as a valuable tool, particularly on damp, calm days when scent dissipates most slowly, Frein successfully evaded them using "water crossings and terrain conditions."[35][36]

Equipment included numerous police vehicles,[37] particularly armored BearCats.[25] The FBI displayed Frein's image and the number of a state police hotline using hundreds of digital billboards in Pennsylvania and five other states.[37][38][39] The total cost of the manhunt came to $11.9 million.[40]

Police believed they saw Frein several times during the manhunt, but each time were unable to approach directly due to the rugged terrain of the area, which allowed Frein to slip away. They believed Frein was taunting them, and Lt. Colonel George Bivens told reporters, "I almost think this is a game to him."[33] A colleague from the MilSim group "Red Alliance" suggested that "If he's re-enacting anyone, it's Rambo from the very first movie," referring to the character of John Rambo in First Blood.[41] The difficulty of capturing Frein was compared to that of finding other survivalist outdoorsmen such as Eric Rudolph, Jason McVean, and Robert William Fisher, whose special training helped them elude police for years.[42] Pennsylvania State Troopers were not issued with "hard" body-armor during the early days of the search, causing concern over those searching and highlighting a concern for the safety of those in the manhunt.[43]

Local resident James Tully, who bears some resemblance to Frein and who walks to work in the area, says he was stopped more than 20 times by officers searching for Frein. He claims one officer pointed a rifle at him and forced him to the ground, leaving him with bruised ribs and in fear that he would be shot.[44]

Capture[edit]

Frein was captured by U.S. Marshals' Special Operations Group in an open field near an unused airport hangar at Birchwood-Pocono Airpark, an abandoned airfield[45] approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) ENE of Tannersville, on October 30, 2014, 48 days after the shooting.[46] At the time of his arrest, he was not armed,[47] but a .308-caliber rifle and a pistol were recovered. Due to some confusion over which airport Frein was hiding at, some police officers erroneously searched for him at the Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport, which is about 10 miles from the Birchwood-Pocono Airpark and is still in use.[48]

Frein was arrested without an altercation.[49][50] Although he did not resist arrest, he suffered a cut to the bridge of his nose, as well as a scrape over his left eye and bruises to his cheeks and eyes.[51][52] A Pennsylvania State Police spokesman said these injuries occurred while he was on the run,[53][54] but the U.S. Marshals said this occurred while police had him down on the pavement during his arrest.[52][55] According to Scott Malkowski, one of a dozen Marshals who took down Frein, standard procedure is "Never have a fugitive look at you", and because Frein went down in a position with head up looking at the officers, they pushed him to a face-down position, causing the scrapes in the process.

Symbolically, Frein was restrained after the arrest using the handcuffs of deceased officer Bryon Dickson[56][57] and taken to the barracks where the attack occurred in the back seat of Dickson's car.[58]

Legal developments[edit]

The day after his capture, he was charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder in the shooting that killed Dickson and wounded Douglass.[59] Frein was charged with murder of the first degree, criminal attempt to commit murder of the first degree, murder of a law enforcement officer of the first degree, criminal attempt to commit murder of a law enforcement officer of the first degree, assault of a law enforcement officer, two counts of terrorism under 18 Pa C.S.A. 2717(a)2 and 3, two counts of weapons of mass destruction under 18 Pa C.S.A. 2716(a), discharging a firearm into an occupied structure, possessing instruments of crime, and recklessly endangering another person.[60][61][62] He pleaded not guilty to all charges during his video arraignment on January 29, 2015. Prosecutors said they intended to seek a death sentence.[63]

Before Frein was tried, a Pike County judge had to determine if information about a State Police internal affairs investigation involving witnesses could be released to Frein's attorneys.[64]

In June 2016, it was determined that Frein's trial would be heard by an imported jury from Chester County due to the extensive pretrial publicity in Pike County. This would be the first time that a Pike County case would be heard by a jury impaneled from another county since the 1980s.[65] Also in June 2016, Pike County Judge Gregory Chelak denied a motion made by Frein's attorneys to bar prosecutors from seeking a death sentence in the case. Chelak rejected Frein's claim that capital punishment was unconstitutional.[66][67]

In September 2017, Trooper Bryon Dickson's widow, Tiffany Dickson, filed a lawsuit against Frein's parents alleging they missed warning signs about their son's behavior and that Frein's father ”psychologically manipulated” him into adopting militantly anti-government and anti-police views.[68]

Conviction and sentence[edit]

On April 19, 2017, Frein was found guilty on all charges[69][70] and on April 26, the jury recommended a death sentence. The following day, Frein was formally sentenced to death by lethal injection.[71] Frein is currently being held at SCI Somerset, a medium security prison in Pennsylvania.[72]

See also[edit]

Explanatory notes[edit]

  1. ^
  2. ^ Capital punishment in Pennsylvania is suspended by Governor Josh Shapiro, but Frein is still technically awaiting execution on death row.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Bounty hunters not joining Eric Frein manhunt in Pa. woods"
  2. ^ a b Brelje, Beth (November 14, 2014). "Letter could suggest Eric Frein's motive: Revolution". Pocono Record. Archived from the original on April 27, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  3. ^ "Bryon Dickson, PA State Trooper Killed In Ambush, To Be Laid To Rest". The Huffington Post. September 18, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  4. ^ "FBI — ERIC MATTHEW FREIN". FBI. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  5. ^ "FBI adds Frein to 10 Most Wanted list". The Philadelphia Inquirer. September 20, 2014.
  6. ^ Krawczeniuk, Borys; Morgan-Besecker, Terrie (September 17, 2014). "Eric Frein a fan of guns, the military". The Patriot-News. Standard Speaker. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  7. ^ "Day 9 Of Manhunt For PA Barracks Shooting Suspect Eric Frein". KYW-TV. Associated Press. September 21, 2014.
  8. ^ "Pennsylvania State Police: Eric Frein has 'personal battle' with law enforcement". Times-Leader. September 17, 2014. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  9. ^ Nick Falsome (September 23, 2014). "Eric Frein, alleged cop killer, worked for Boy Scouts' Minsi Trails Council, report says". Lehigh Valley Live.
  10. ^ "Who is Eric Frein?". September 28, 2014.
  11. ^ Chaplin, Paul (September 21, 2014). "As day 9 begins in manhunt for Eric Frein, neighbors seek answers". Associated Press.
  12. ^ "Police ambush suspect manhunt upends daily life". WTAE-TV. Associated Press. September 24, 2014.
  13. ^ a b c Ambush suspect was former Northampton Community College student, The Express-Times, September 17, 2014.
  14. ^ Eric Frein: Is reenactor waging private cold war on Pa. cops? (+video), The Christian Science Monitor, September 18, 2014.
  15. ^ a b c d e f Matt Assad and Peter Hall (October 1, 2014). "No warning signs in ordinary life of trooper slaying suspect". Morning Call.
  16. ^ "Istocni Vuk Photos". Myspace. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  17. ^ "State police swarm East Stroudsburg on Eric Frein sighting report; he isn't found", The Morning Call, September 18, 2014.
  18. ^ Peter Becker (September 20, 2014). "SATURDAY 8:35 PM: Residents allowed back; manhunt continues". Pocono Record/expanded by News Eagle. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  19. ^ David Singleton and Terrie Morgan-Besecker (September 28, 2014). "Who is Eric Frein?". Lehigh Valley Live. Associated Press.
  20. ^ a b "After shots are reported, residents within miles of Eric Frein home ordered to get inside". The Morning Call. September 19, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  21. ^ a b Pennsylvania suspect in police killing belonged to 'military simulation unit', The Guardian, September 17, 2014.
  22. ^ Brendan Gibbons (September 18, 2014). "Game Commission tracking team hunting for Frein". Times-Tribune.
  23. ^ a b Holly Yan, Greg Botelho and Chelsea J. Carter (September 17, 2014). "Trooper shooting suspect might try to target more officers, police say". CNN.
  24. ^ United States v. Eric Matthew Frein, case no. 3:14-mj-00086-TMB-1, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania (Scranton Div.).
  25. ^ a b Scott Kraus, Manuel Gamiz Jr. and Dan Sheehan (September 23, 2014). "Eric Frein search continues, Pocono Mountain schools reopen". Morning Call.
  26. ^ "Game Commission bans hunting in manhunt search". WFMZ-TV. October 1, 2014. Archived from the original on November 13, 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  27. ^ "Manhunt places hunting seasons on hold". Pennsylvania State Game Commission. October 1, 2014.
  28. ^ Dan Ratchford (October 10, 2010). "Hunting restrictions lifted in part of search area". WNEP.
  29. ^ "Hunting seasons restored in parts of Pike County". Pennsylvania Game Commission. October 10, 2014.
  30. ^ "Pa. lifts hunting ban in all of Pike County". The Sentinel. October 21, 2014.
  31. ^ "Hunting seasons restored in entirety of Pike County". Pennsylvania Game Commission. October 21, 2014.
  32. ^ a b Holly Yan (September 22, 2014). "Pennsylvania trooper killing: Who is suspect Eric Frein?". CNN.
  33. ^ a b Rheanna Murray (September 24, 2014). "U.S. Accused Cop Killer Eric Frein Repeatedly Appears, Then Eludes Manhunt". Good Morning America/ABC News.
  34. ^ "The hunt for Eric Frein". Pocono Record. September 28, 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  35. ^ Mark Hiller (September 22, 2014). "Dog Trainer: Tracking Dogs a Valuable Tool in Frein Manhunt". Nexstar/PA Homepage. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  36. ^ "State police answer questions about search for Frein". WFMZ 69. September 25, 2014. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  37. ^ a b Joshua Kohut (September 24, 2014). "PERIMETER INTACT: Search continues for Frein". Standard-Speaker.
  38. ^ Jim Deegan (September 19, 2014). "Digital billboards activated in manhunt for accused trooper killer Eric Matthew Frein". The Express-Times.
  39. ^ "FBI sets up digital billboard 'wanted' posters of Eric Frein in 6 states". Pocono Record. September 19, 2014.
  40. ^ "Eric Frein manhunt cost, lessons discussed". Pocono Record. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  41. ^ Rheanna Murray (September 19, 2014). "U.S. Accused Cop Shooter Eric Frein Reenacting Rambo, Colleague Suggests". ABC News.
  42. ^ Rheanna Murray (September 22, 2014). "U.S. Like Eric Frein, These Fugitive Survivalists Eluded Police Capture". ABC News.
  43. ^ Luciew, John (October 27, 2015). "State police mounted Eric Frein manhunt without life-saving equipment". pennlive. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  44. ^ "Eric Frein lookalike: Police have stopped me repeatedly, pointed gun at me". CBS News. October 23, 2014.
  45. ^ "Accused Trooper Shooter Eric Frein in Police Custody After 48 Day Manhunt". WCAU-TV. October 30, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  46. ^ Ivey DeJesus (October 31, 2014). "Eric Frein surrendered to U.S. marshals, did not put up a fight, state police said". PennLive/The Patriot News.
  47. ^ Michael Rubinkam (October 31, 2014). "Captured: Manhunt Ends for Trooper Ambush Suspect". ABC News.
  48. ^ "Frein Found Near Old Airstrip At Former Resort". WNEP.com. October 31, 2014. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  49. ^ Dana Ford (October 30, 2014). "FBI most-wanted suspect Eric Frein in custody - CNN.com". CNN. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  50. ^ Winter, Tom; Johnson, M. Alex (October 30, 2014). "Authorities Capture Accused Cop Killer Eric Frein". NBCNews.com. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  51. ^ Debbie Truong (October 31, 2014). "Quiet, bruised Eric Frein denied bail after brief arraignment on trooper killing charges". PennLive/The Patriot News.
  52. ^ a b Ralph Iannotti (October 31, 2014). "Community Breathes Sigh Of Relief After Frein's Capture". CBS Pittsburgh.
  53. ^ TOM LLAMAS and RHEANA MURRAY (October 31, 2014). "Accused Cop Killer Eric Frein's Dramatic First Court Appearance After Capture". ABC News.
  54. ^ Sasha Goldstein (October 31, 2014). "Eric Frein arraigned following capture 7 weeks after allegedly murdering Pa. state trooper". New York Daily News.
  55. ^ Laura McCrystal and Ben Finley (October 31, 2014). "Investigator: Frein 'fully' expected capture". philly.com.
  56. ^ "Trooper ambush suspect Eric Frein taken in handcuffs of murdered officer". Fox News. October 21, 2014.
  57. ^ "Eric Frein Captured: Accused Cop Killer In Custody, Police Say". The Huffington Post. October 30, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  58. ^ Greg Botelho and Kristina Sgueglia (November 2, 2014). "Accused cop killer Eric Frein's cuts came during capture, marshal says". CNN.
  59. ^ McGraw, Seamus (October 31, 2014). "Eric Frein, Suspect in Killing of Pennsylvania State Trooper, Appears in Court". The New York Times. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  60. ^ "Pa seeks death penalty for accused killer Eric Frein". Fox News. January 27, 2015.
  61. ^ "Commonwealth's notice of aggravating circumstances and intent to seek the death penalty" (PDF). Office of prothonotary clerk of courts. January 27, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 1, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
  62. ^ For explanation of terrorism, see "2717. Terrorism". Pennsylvania legislature.. For mass destruction, see "2616. Weapons of mass destruction". Pennsylvania legislature.
  63. ^ Julia Talanova (January 30, 2015). "Eric Frein pleads not guilty in state trooper's death". CNN.
  64. ^ Jim Hamill (September 29, 2015). "Internal Investigation Adds Wrinkle to Eric Frein Case". WNEP16.
  65. ^ Peter Becker, Imported jury to hear Frein case in Pike County[permanent dead link], News Eagle (June 13, 2016).
  66. ^ Terrie Morgan-Besecker, Judge denies death penalty ban for Frein, Republican Herald (June 23, 2016).
  67. ^ Dan Ratchford, Motion to Throw Out Death Penalty for Frein Denied, WNEP-TV (June 22, 2016).
  68. ^ Kyle Swenson (September 27, 2017). "He grew up listening to his father's anti-police rants. A lawsuit claims it drove him to murder". The Washington Post.
  69. ^ "Eric Frein found guilty on all charges for killing of Pennsylvania state trooper". NBC News. April 19, 2017. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023.
  70. ^ "Eric Frein sentenced to death in trooper ambush". April 27, 2017.
  71. ^ Helsel, Phil (April 26, 2017). "Eric Frein, Ambush Cop Killer, Gets Death Sentence From Pennsylvania Jury". NBC News. NBC. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  72. ^ "Convicted cop-killer Eric Frein moved to a different state prison in Pennsylvania". July 16, 2020.

External links[edit]

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