The trial of cop killer Eric Frein is something that people in Northeast Pennsylvania have been waiting to happen since his arrest in 2014. On April 19th, Frein was found guilty on all 12 charges against him, which included first-degree murder, terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.
For those who might not be that familiar with this case, on September 12, 2014 Eric Frein of Canadensis staged an ambush on the Blooming Grove State police barracks in Blooming Grove, PA. During a shift change that night, Frein shot and killed Corporal Bryon Dickson and severely wounded Trooper Alex Douglas.
The Blooming Grove barrack was right down the road from my college at the time, Lackawanna College (Hawley campus), and despite the high school right down the road being closed for a week due to the fear that Frein was still in the area and could target a school, Lackawanna remained open. The attack on the barracks hit everyone hard, especially the Criminal Justice majors like myself. I remember as a precaution, instructors were told to lock classroom doors and everyone just laughed over this because Frein was heavily armed and could just shoot his way into a classroom.
Two days after Frein fled the scene of his crime, a jeep was found by a good samaritan submerged in a pond, and in it was more evidence. There was a massive manhunt for Frein that lasted seven weeks and authorities thought Frein was in the area still, which caused a lot of concern and even the presence of helicopters in the sky searching for him. The Blooming Grove barracks are in a wooded area and state game lands are right across the way, which was where authorities were sure Frein was hiding during the manhunt. It turned out that bunkers were found in the woods, along with items like soiled adult diapers and cigarettes.
Frein managed to evade the authorities for 48 days and ended up being captured by U.S. marshals on October 30, 2014. He was found hiding out in an unused airport hangar at Birchwood-Pocono Airpark. A .308 caliber rifle (the same weapon used in the shooting) and a pistol were also recovered from the location. Corporal Dickson’s handcuffs were used to arrest Frein and he was transported back to the Blooming Grove barracks in Dickson’s patrol car.
Once found guilty on all charges, Frein’s two possible punishments became life in prison or the death penalty. The penalty phase of the trial is still going on and the jury will have to decide if Frein should receive the death penalty or not.
I personally hope he does receive the death penalty because he is a coward who took the life of a Pennsylvania State trooper and seriously injured another. Corporal Dickson had a wife and two young sons that now must live without him because of the actions of Eric Frein. I don’t think the people of Pennsylvania should have to pay for this man to stay behind bars the rest of his life and should receive the punishment most suitable for murdering a trooper and severely injuring another: the death penalty.