The Hunt for Eric Frein ... Still On

The New Normal Is Beginning to Get Old

     We’re approaching October 31 which will mean Eric Frein allegedly ambushed two Pennsylvania State Troopers six weeks ago, killing one and severely wounding the other. If he is not apprehended in the next forty-eight hours, the law enforcement agencies who continue to search for him will enter their seventh week.

     There are fewer leaves on the trees. We’ve had some cold snaps and some rainy days and nights. This coming Saturday there is a chance of snow showers and considerably reduced temperatures. There are also fewer LEOs searching the woods, which may not be a bad thing. Frein grew up in our corner of the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania and knows the rocky terrain and thick woods well.
     This is strictly conjecture, but I wonder if having so many law enforcement officers from a number of different agencies means they must gather and plan … which gives him plenty of time to slip away. State police, FBI, ATF, canine units from at least two states and I heard from one source Homeland Security is here as well. 

     We haven’t had a briefing from the PSP for well over a week. The days seem to pass in much the same way. Each morning everyone hopes and prays that today Frein will be caught and our community can go back to the old normal. Each night as the sun sets there is a sense that nothing will be accomplished overnight, though of course we can’t know that.

     Barrett Township, which has been the “hot zone,” cancelled their annual Halloween Parade. That was sad for families and children; it’s very much a delightful small town event that everyone in that area looks forward to. It was heartwarming to read of the efforts of some members of the community who replaced it with a pretty nifty substitute, a “Trunk or Treat” in the parking lot of Monsignor McHugh School where families could gather, children could admire each other’s costumes and treats were plentiful.

     Last Saturday night I went with friends to the Evergreen Community School in Cresco to see a production of Stephen Sondheim’s brilliant but gory musical play, Sweeney Todd, performed by a local group, Theatrical Gems. We were headed for “the hot spot” and it was the first time I’d been in that part of the county since all this started, and it did feel a little strange. We saw no law enforcement vehicles either driving up to the school or coming back to the southern part of the county. But where we were driving was in everyone’s mind, and a comment about “Frein country” was made. We want him gone. He’s in  everyone’s mind.

     It seems there are fewer helicopters in evidence, but we have a new piece of technology, a weather balloon lent by the state of Ohio which can be used the same way, tracking from above with a camera that apparently can show much detail of the terrain below. Of course, it can’t be deployed in high winds.

     We are told the PSP and the governor remain resolute and we are still told the search will continue until Frein is apprehended. Yesterday there was a “sighting” of a person in the woods who might have been Frein. The frustration with the sightings is that no one has really been close enough to any of these people … or to Frein, if it is him … to make a positive identification. As frustrated as the residents are, the law enforcement personnel have to be many times moreso. They want him gone as much as we do. They want to find him and capture him.

     Speculation abounds. Some Facebook pages are filled with posts about different theories. I avoid reading those; it is, after all, sheer speculation. The fact that the LEOs are still here indicates to me it is strongly believed by those in authority that Frein has not left the area. Since it's most likely that is the case, it’s good they are here. Most residents feel much safer with them on hand. Support for the LEOs continues to be strong.

     I write books about people whose lives are filled with love and music, and who deal with challenges with great courage. Eric Frein remains an enigma to me, and I believe to most people. Nothing he has done makes any sense to most people who live here. It’s hard also to imagine what effect this has had and continues to have on people who love him. I hope he is caught and interrogated. We’d like to hear from him. We’d like to be able to get him out of our heads.

     I hope he surrenders, but I doubt that is likely. There are several endgame scenarios and most of them are grim.

Pocono Raceway Photo

The Manhunt Continues

ALMOST … AGAIN

     It’s maddening. There was a flurry of activity this afternoon, not in the “hot zone” as we had come to expect it, but a little south of that area and much too close to a local school complex. Pocono Mountain East schools include a high school, a junior high school, an intermediate school, and an elementary school on one campus. Very near the school – almost across a road, in fact, is Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine division of the third largest pharmaceutical company in the world, Sanofi-Aventis. Almost directly across from Sanofi on a major artery in the county is the Swiftwater Pennsylvania State Police Barracks.

     This campus was one that was closed for a week when the manhunt for accused assassin Eric Frein began in mid-September. We have been told that a “credible sighting” of Frein took place quite near the high school around 9 p.m. Friday, when a local woman was out walking and it would seem shone a flashlight on Frein who suddenly appeared. According to reports, he was within twenty feet of her, and she described him accurately to the law enforcement officers who questioned her. She confirmed that he was carrying a “rifle with a scope” and said he did not threaten her. This happened not far from the football field, and there was a football game taking place at the time.

     Despite this sighting, school officials elected to have the schools on the Swiftwater campus open today. Then ─ just about the time the schools were due to be dismissed ─ there was a huge flurry of LEO activity. According to a reporter for one of the TV channels, “Today's intense Frein search started when a local officer giving his K9 a break saw someone suspicious run into woods in Swiftwater.”

     Just before schools began to be dismissed, it appears there was a sizable gathering of LEOs on the scene, including a large number of K9 troops. The high school and junior high school busses left on schedule. The other two schools, as nearly as I can surmise, were held for a time. The high school football and cheerleading teams were bussed to Pocono Mountain West High School for their practice. Whether they were returned to P.M. East to be picked up is uncertain.

     Employees of Sanofi were very much aware of low-flying helicopters. This was very close to a shift change at the company, and some were concerned about getting to their cars safely, or even being able to leave the premises in order to get home. There were news crews all around the area, and one was advised to move away from a particular area for “their own safety.”

     It really began to seem as if the LEOs finally had their man. Many of us were following all this on Facebook, amazingly enough. A local page had been established fairly recently for those most impacted by the search to share what they were witnessing firsthand with others of us who were hungry for news. It was nail-biting time, to be sure. However, the resolution seems to be that once again, Frein slipped away from his pursuers.

     The particular page on which I, as well as many other people, were being made aware of what was happening had 219 members when I joined it. I believe some two weeks later it has over 1,000, and has gone from “public” to “private” to “secret.” Reading the comments .. there were well over four hundred … almost gave us a sense of being there. Some of those commenting were at Sanofi. Some were parents of Pocono Mountain East school students who were agonizing over a child who wasn’t yet safely home. When we had word of a child arriving, I think all of us breathed a sigh of relief.

     The administrators of this page keep a close rein on this group. Minimum speculation, just report what you personally are witnessing. Any members who stray too far are blocked from the group. So what I’ve shared with you I believe is accurate information. The sense of immediacy in following the thread moment-by-moment is difficult to describe.

     Now sunset has come and gone, and the best opportunities for apprehending Eric Frein seem to have once more ended.

     Almost. But not this time.

     Soon. That’s what we all hope for.

Creation or Destruction?

Dichotomy

Dichotomy: A division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.

What I want is to write about my books. What my blog readers want is to read more about Eric Frein, although there really isn’t much new to say. I sincerely wish I could tell you that Frein has been apprehended and taken into custody. Unfortunately, he continues to elude the massive efforts of some thousand law enforcement officers, as he has for nearly a month to date.

It has been weeks since I wrote a blog entitled “Living Under ‘Siege’,” and sadly, the “new normal” I discussed in that post has become a way of life for the people in my county, especially those in one particular part of the Poconos. They remain resolute and continue to support the members of law enforcement. “Barrett Proud” has become the watchword of the residents of that township. “PSP Strong” has become the watchword of this entire part of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

The books I write are about as far removed from the enigma that is Eric Frein as can be imagined. My characters are people whose lives are filled with music and love. They are also people of great courage. My young heroine Melanie Stewart in How I Grew Up is dealing with a horrific family tragedy, and draws strength from her participation in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s powerful musical drama, Carousel. She is an inspiration to her family and her friends. Melanie is not just a survivor, she finds strength within herself she didn’t know she had. She does more than cope. She shines.

My character Eli Levin, in Eli’s Heart, is a true hero. He is born with the daunting challenge of a badly damaged heart, the condition Tetralogy of Fallot. He undergoes surgery at a young age which gives him added years and makes it possible for him to live a more normal life, though the condition is not cured. Then it is discovered he is a musical genius, a pianist with a prodigious gift. Yet Eli manages not only to survive, but to thrive, and has a loving marriage and a vibrant career.

The protagonist in the novel I am currently writing, Jamie Logan, is a young man from an ordinary family who has a musical gift which he doesn’t begin to develop until he is in his early twenties. After a first marriage which ends after two years, Jamie goes back to college with dreams of having a career in opera. Jamie’s failed marriage leaves him with many doubts about himself. One family crisis after another creates problems for him. Jamie’s journey in You Are My Song is a difficult one. Yet with love and music in his life, Jamie finds a way to continue.

For all of these characters, the healing power of musical creativity is vital. Through music and with much courage they create productive, fulfilling lives.

I am baffled by a man such as Eric Frein, who rather than looking for a way to create, seems bent on destroying … lives, communities, and sadly, perhaps himself most of all. Yet all of us who live here want to understand him. Why has he done these things he is alleged to have done? Is he mentally ill? Is he innately evil? I personally hope he is captured and we learn more about what drives him to act as he does.

It’s difficult to live in this area at present and not be caught up in the events that continue to unfold. Daily we wish for news he has been caught. Presently, we’ve had no new insight, no news about what actually is happening in our forests and on our hillsides.

The “dichotomy” … the man who we are all focused on to some extent as opposed to the characters I have created and want to tell people about. The characters I hope people will read about in my books.

Here’s one Amazon 5-star reader review for Eli’s Heart:

They used to call them Blue Babies, the children born with a heart condition that dominated every aspect of their lives, lives which were never long. The central character in Susan Moore Jordan’s exceptional book Eli’s Heart, Eli Levin, born with Tetralogy of Fallot, gave his heart away instead of giving in to his heart. He fell in love with music as a child and as a teenager fell in love again, this time with the woman who years later would become his wife. Eli’s and Krissy’s path is more than a love story; their life together is filled with music, hope and raw courage. The characters of the stubborn, lovable, brilliant Eli and the wistful, loving Krissy are beautifully drawn and the music descriptions are expertly wrought by a writer/musician (there is a discography at the end of the book.) Eli’s story is fiction, but it was inspired by the remarkable story of an actual musician.

More information: www.susanmoorejordan.com

Living with a Manhunt: More About Eric Frein

… AND THE SEARCH GOES ON …

     #EricFreinManhunt is a popular “hashtag” phrase on Twitter these days. Here in the Poconos we continue to live with the intense search for an accused murderer in our woodlands and hills. Most of us watch from a distance, but most of us also have close friends and even family members whose lives are directly impacted by the intensity of the search as it enters its fourth week.

     Posts on Facebook: videos of helicopters, with captions such as “Well, hello again” and “They’re back,” and comments such as “[my husband] says it’s the Department of Homeland Security.” A photo of a van labeled “Channel 10” news, with the caption “This was parked in front of my house.” Local/regional/national articles and items from newscasts posted, with numerous comments from people who live here. Or just a post: “Anything new?”

     Schools are all in full swing; people go about their daily lives as best they can. This could be hearsay, but I believe the local LEOs may no longer be part of the search. Crime in our communities didn’t go on hold; the perpetrators didn’t decide to take a few weeks off. The Pennsylvania State Police, police from New York State, agents from the FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals Office and possibly the DHS carry on with trying to track down Eric Frein. From more than one source, the count of at least one thousand law enforcement officers.

     Local and area businesses, particularly establishments which serve food, help provide meals, beverages, snacks for the LEOs. The little town of Mountainhome is a sea of blue bows, showing support. Hand-lettered signs reinforce the support. Of course there is some grumbling, and some doubters who believe Frein is long gone, somewhere in the Canadian wilderness or perhaps in Mexico. Most of us find it hard to believe the search would be sustained for this length of time unless the people in charge have good reason to believe he’s here, hiding in our woods.

     And from time to time the excitement on Facebook is palpable: seems they nearly have him. One post follows another for sometimes hours, but nothing develops. I was particularly startled very recently by a Facebook status from my daughter-in-law who is near the search area, but not directly in it: “Yep. This is happening right now. My house is surrounded by cops and there are helicopters directly overhead.” Eventually I learned someone dressed in black was seen walking in that area and some of the troops responded immediately to check out the report.

     Most of the people in the immediate area like seeing the “cops.” They feel safer, though the populace has been told repeatedly Frein has not threatened civilians. His behavior is at the least bizarre, though, and who knows what he might do next. Archery hunting season started three days ago and has been indefinitely restricted in certain areas.

     No matter where in Monroe County you live, this situation has created an undercurrent of uneasiness, without a doubt. We all want him caught. We all want this to end. We all do NOT want another dead or wounded law enforcement officer, so it’s fine that they are moving cautiously.

     We’ve learned more about him. We’ve seen many photos, generally with him dressed in a replica of an Eastern European military uniform. We’ve learned he sent a text message to a local man self-described as Frein’s only friend. The text was sent the afternoon before the ambush on the Blooming Grove PSP barracks and read in part, “all is good” and “heading back to Delaware.” We’ve been told Frein had lied to people about working in Delaware as cover for his planned ambush.

     We’ve also learned he was arrested and jailed in New York State after stealing items from a vendor at a World War II re-enactment in 2004 in Odessa. Frein attempted to sell some of these items on eBay and eventually served some three months in jail, after being arrested for the theft and breaking bail. It’s possible this was the beginning of his vendetta against law enforcement officers.

     We are sure there is a great deal we are NOT being told. Any items that might be potential evidence during a trial, we don’t need to know about, and we are told little or nothing about. Anything that might be a danger to the residents, such as the two pipe bombs found last week, we are told about.

     As most people do, I receive text messages of news updates from the local newspaper. Hopefully the next text message I get will not be a frost advisory. It will be the capture of Eric Frein.

What Is Important?

     Here in Northeastern Pennsylvania we have learned more about the massive manhunt for Eric Matthew Frein, the man who has been evading capture by law enforcement officers for over twelve days. The PA State Police are convinced he is in our forests, in a small area in the northern part of our county. They believe they’ve had sightings from a distance, and the PSP officer who is giving the information also said residents have reported sightings as well.

     I know I am repeating myself, but unless you’ve ventured into these thick forested regions it’s hard to understand how easy it is to virtually disappear … into the underbrush, behind a rock, into a bear cave. The LEOs are very much aware this man is armed and very dangerous. They have not been close enough to make a positive identification, and they have to proceed with caution. None of us wants anyone else hurt or killed.

     What does news about an alleged killer have to do with “Words and Music”? More than you might think.

     I grew up in a kinder, gentler era, the middle of the twentieth century. Yet even then, violent people sometimes committed violent acts. In my town of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, one such event had an impact on me that has lasted my entire life. 

     When I was a junior at Oak Ridge High School, a dear friend went through an unimaginable family tragedy. Her estranged brother-in-law broke into her home one Saturday night and shot and killed her mother, shot her father who died within hours, and shot her other brother-in-law, who lingered in agony for some three months before dying.

     Anita had gone to the movies by herself that night, as she sometimes did, and walked home to find this awful event had happened while she was not home. A friend called me and my dad drove me to the hospital where I spent some time with her. This took place the weekend before our school had auditions for the spring musical, which was to be Rodgers and Hammerstein’s powerful show Carousel. Anita was a fine actress and singer and it seemed she would certainly be cast in one of the three principal female roles.

     The directors of the show decided to wait a week to hold auditions. Even so, Anita auditioned within a week after burying both her parents. She won the leading role of Julie Jordan, and gave a polished and moving performance in the role, inspiring all of us … students and teachers alike … with her courage and poise. The show has been extremely meaningful to me ever since, and in March of 2013 I directed a production at the high school where I’ve been directing musicals since 1991.

     The following summer for the first time in my life I wrote a book. Anita’s story needed to be told, and HOW I GREW UP was published at the end of October. At the suggestion of a friend, I wrote the novel in the first person. It is a work of fiction, but it is based on the events surrounding the shooting and Anita’s subsequent triumph on stage. 

     Creativity, in this particular instance, music and theater, can have a healing effect on a troubled spirit. Sadly, my friend died young of breast cancer, but she shone brightly for many years prior to her death.

     I never understood why her brother-in-law committed this heinous act. I was told he was an abusive husband, and Anita’s sister had left him more than once and had returned to him. That’s a story we hear far too often. The difference in this story is that he did not shoot his wife, who was present, but her parents and the one man in the house who might have been able to stop him. But Anita’s other sister’s husband was the killer's first target.

     He attempted to flee back to Mississippi, but was caught before he crossed the Tennessee state line. He was imprisoned and eventually tried, and I believe his plea was not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. He claims he was driven to his act because his wife’s parents interfered in his marriage and persuaded his wife to leave him. He served twelve years of a fifteen-year prison sentence. For taking three lives.

     There is speculation about a motive behind Frein’s alleged shooting of the two PA State Troopers, but at this point it is exactly that, speculation. He is reported to have been part of a group that re-enacts battles by military forces in Eastern Europe. One item found in the woods was reported as packs of “Serbian cigarettes.”

     There is far too much violence in today’s world, and the news from the Middle East is disturbing. How the current situation in our county will be resolved remains to be seen. Of much greater import is what is happening with our world, where war seems to be on-going … not because we choose it, but because we cannot avoid it. The world has become very small.

     I am fortunate to be able to escape into that “kindler, gentler time” as both my novels take place during the second half of the twentieth century. And my characters are people whose lives are filled with courage, love, and music. It’s been difficult recently to concentrate on completing my third novel because of the local events, but it’s helped me to put words and thoughts together for my blog.

     It was heartwarming to learn residents of the area of Monroe County most affected yesterday put up dozens of navy blue bows and American flags to show their support for the more than one thousand law enforcement officers now searching for Frein. Donations of food, beverages, and other necessities are being delivered constantly by both local residents and businesses throughout this part of the state. No one likes what is going on. It is impressive to see the community work together, either in person or through social media, to keep each other’s spirits up.

     Courage and love can be evidenced by such a simple act as making a blue bow and displaying it … or sending a message to a friend who is living in the “war zone.” Those are important. There are good people who live in our county.

If you would like to learn more about my books: www.susanmoorejordan.com

Living Under "Siege"

The “New Normal” – Hopefully Not for Much Longer

     Life has changed dramatically in our little corner of Northeastern PA. On Friday, September 12, at a PA State Trooper barracks in neighboring Pike County, two Troopers were ambushed and shot, one fatally. The following Tuesday a vehicle (I believe a Jeep) was found partially submerged in a pond of some kind, or a swampy area, not far from the barracks. It appeared to have been abandoned by the shooter, a man who lives in the northern part of Monroe County, probably some 20 miles from the barracks where the shooting occurred. There were surprising items found in the Jeep, including ammunition and some form of ID. The Jeep was found by a resident of sparsely-populated Pike County who was walking his dog.

     Since that time there has been an intense manhunt for the alleged shooter, primarily in and around the house he occupies … or occupied … with his parents. This has involved hundreds of law enforcement officers, not just from the state. Eric Frein is now #2 on the FBI’s Most Wanted list, with a $100,000 reward on his head from the FBI and an additional $75,000 reward from PA Crime Stoppers. The search I believe heated up considerably last Thursday night and has been continuing with this intensity ever since.

     Some schools have been closed, primarily those in the area closest to the activity. Students were removed Thursday afternoon very abruptly from after school activities by one neighboring school district. A second district was closed for a day. Many businesses in the immediate area, the usually quiet little town of Canadensis, have been open only sporadically.
     News media of all kinds have reporters on the scene, and the law enforcement personnel have been very sparing of any details. We have been told that “there have been items found” in the dense woods that cover hundreds of acres. SWAT teams have been quite visible, helicopters and low flying aircraft are patrolling that area pretty much non-stop. I’m not sure how many federal agents from which agencies are on scene, other than ATF (we’ve seen occasional photos of the jackets or comments from locals who have seen them).

     Roads have been closed and people have been requested to stay inside their homes in the immediate area. The activity seems to be highest at night. There is speculation that Frein is holed up during the day and moving around at night. Many people in the area have scanners and listen intensely, and post periodically via primarily Facebook status updates and comments. There are many threads, especially on certain FB pages, and those of us who don’t own scanners find ourselves drawn to these comments, always hopeful the word will come that he’s been apprehended. Sometimes it seems minutes away, but he’s evaded and eluded capture for at least five days at this point. Perhaps longer, I’m sure there are many details of which we are not aware, and probably should NOT know about.

     This must be similar to what the people in parts of Boston dealt with after the Marathon bombing, when they had no idea who had committed that horrific crime. We don’t know if Frein acted alone. I’m baffled as to why he would leave such clear evidence in his vehicle. I have to trust that with all the forces gathered in basically two townships in our county there is good reason to believe he is actually where they are looking for him.
    Some people are critical of the law enforcement officers, unfortunately. None of us civilians have ANY IDEA what they are dealing with; especially in this area. Not only are the many hundreds of acres of woodlands dense with trees and underbrush, this part of the state is very rocky. And when I say rocky, I am talking about boulders, which are everywhere and which can be incredibly large. So there are many hiding places. To my mind, the most chilling thing we’ve been told is that Frein has been planning this “for months, if not years.” It makes me wonder what has been found that would prompt such a comment. I also wonder why an alleged “cop killer” would be the subject of so much attention from Federal agencies.

     The way social media has been used to communicate what sparse information is available is fascinating. One local group’s Facebook page had requests to join from I believe over three hundred people in one day, because many of the original members had scanners and were posting whatever they could understand. Word of a shelter for people who can’t get to their homes was posted on FB as I was writing this blog post. There is a strong sense of community through the whole county because of social media. I live probably at least 15 miles from where the action is taking place, but when I walked across the road to my mailbox this afternoon, I could hear the helicopters to the north. Having them directly above you has to be nerve-wracking. I wonder how parents of children are handling this, especially parents of young children.

     There are times in our life when we simply have to endure. This is such a time for my community, and especially for two small townships in this county. It’s my understanding the law enforcement officers have been helpful in cases of emergency and have been escorting people in and out of the area when it’s essential. I for one … and I think I speak for many who live here … am very grateful for the LEOs who are trying hard to bring this to a swift and hopefully peaceful resolution. For the most part, they are heroes.