Pennsylvania State Troopers have been combing the heavily wooded Pocono Mountain area ever since suspected cop-killer Eric Frein gunned down Cpl. Bryon Dickson on Sept. 12. Frein is a trained survivalist that has left behind several clues, including a hand written account of the shooting, yet officers are always at least one step behind him. As of now they have admitted that once the leaves fall from the trees they will clearly have the visual upper hand, making it sound like they are at the mercy of Mother Nature to be able to do their job. Commissioner Frank Noonan as also expressed concern that Frein will attack again.
While updating PA lawmakers in Harrisburg, Noonan admitted that he thinks that they are playing beat-the-clock while anticipating Frein's possible next move.
"The thing that's foremost on my mind is, what's the cost if we don't catch him? What's the cost if he commits another crime? We don't think that he's done this and that he'll never do anything else. We believe he's the type of individual that is looking to do more types of crimes like this if he has the opportunity. We can't give him that opportunity."
Noonan said that his concern about a follow-up attack is based on a review by behavioral scientists. Every time Frein outsmarts the police it's likely just adding to his feeling of being unstoppable. What many people don't realize is the enormous cost that is going into not finding Frein. As of now it is costing $1.3 million per week to attempt to find and corner Frein in those deep woods with no guarantee that he is even still in there. By now he feasibly could have made it out and over the nearby New Jersey border meaning that State Troopers could be wasting their time looking in the wrong state.
