BLOOMING GROVE, Pa. -- A survivalist accused of ambushing two state troopers, killing one and seriously wounding the other, was captured Thursday by U.S. marshals in an abandoned airplane hangar, ending a seven-week manhunt, authorities said.
The takedown of Eric Frein ended weeks of tension and turmoil in the area, as authorities at times closed schools, canceled outdoor events and blockaded roads to pursue him. Residents grew weary of hearing helicopters, while small businesses suffered mounting losses and town supervisors canceled a popular Halloween parade.
Frein is charged with opening fire outside the Blooming Grove barracks on Sept. 12, killing Cpl. Bryon Dickson and seriously wounding another trooper. After his capture, which was confirmed by state police, he was held in Dickson's handcuffs, Gov. Tom Corbett said.
Prosecutors said Thursday night that they'll seek the death penalty for Frein.
Police said they linked him to the ambush after a man walking his dog discovered his partly submerged sport utility vehicle three days later in a swamp a few miles from the shooting scene. Inside, investigators found shell casings matching those found at the barracks as well as Frein's driver's license, camouflage face paint, two empty rifle cases and military gear.
Officials, saying Frein was armed and extremely dangerous, had urged residents to be alert and cautious. Using dogs, thermal imaging technology and other tools, law enforcement officials combed miles of forest as they hunted for Frein, whom they called an experienced survivalist at home in the woods.
They pursued countless tips and closed in on an area around Frein's parents' home in Canadensis after he used his cellphone to try to contact them and the signal was traced to a location about 3 miles away.
Trackers found items they believe Frein hid or abandoned in the woods -- including soiled diapers, empty packs of Serbian cigarettes, an AK-47-style assault rifle and ammunition and two pipe bombs that were functional and capable of causing significant damage.
They also discovered a journal, allegedly kept by Frein and found in a bag of trash at a hastily abandoned campsite, that offered a chilling account of the ambush and his subsequent escape into the woods. The journal's author described Dickson as falling "still and quiet" after being shot twice.
The manhunt for Frein had scrapped some plans for trick-or-treating. But his capture means children in the area will get to celebrate Halloween after all, Barrett Township supervisors said.
Information for this article was contributed by Alicia A. Caldwell, Maryclaire Dale and Kathy Matheson of The Associated Press.
A Section on 10/31/2014