Is Eric Frein a Survivalist? (Updated and bumped)

Seventeenth Update (11/1/2014):  The SNAFU blog indicates that Frein was taken into custody by officers of the US Marshals Special Operations Group, which he describes as "like a bunch of badge wearing SOCOM dudes (you can call me a fan boy but they actually ran missions in Iraq..supposedly they were active in Afghanistan but I don't know)." The Associated Press article describing the capture reports:

Scott Malkowski, a task force commander with the U.S. Marshals Service, spied a figure moving from the woods toward an abandoned airplane hangar in the Pocono Mountains. Looking at his face, his black hat and fleece, and his height and weight, Malkowski was certain he had his man. 

"Suspect," he told the two operators by his side, and they fanned out on either side of their quarry, who had no idea he'd just been spotted. Hidden by tall grass, Malkowski moved stealthily toward his target, adrenaline coursing through his body. 

Eric Frein didn't stand a chance. 

The Marshals Service was one of several state and federal law enforcement agencies that took part in the intensive manhunt for Frein — the survivalist and marksman charged in a deadly sniper attack outside the Blooming Grove state police barracks — and wound up nabbing him on the 48th day of the search. 

...  "We expected to find him," said Kimball, 48, a Virginia-based member of the U.S. Marshals' special operations group. 

On Thursday, Kimball was stationed in a command post while Malkowski, 44, and other members of the team — acting on a request from Pennsylvania State Police — worked to clear an abandoned resort. About two hours in, Malkowski and two others approached the hangar at the old Birchwood-Pocono Airpark. 

"We just had a hunch that if we were on the run, this is a place we would hide," he said.
Once Frein was spotted, Malkowski and his team sneaked up on the fugitive. They were about 25 yards away when Frein finally realized he wasn't alone. Malkowski identified himself as law enforcement and ordered Frein, who was unarmed but had weapons in the hangar, to get on the ground. 

"What's your name?" Malkowski asked. 

Frein told him. 

He made no attempt to flee and didn't put up a fight. 

"He had nowhere to go. There is nothing he could've done," Malkowski said, adding: "From what I saw, he felt defeated because we'd won. We'd defeated him."

The hanger where Frein was hiding out (Source: Daily Mail)

Inside the hanger (Source: Daily Mail)

An article at the Daily Mail, however, indicated that "U.S. Marshals arrested Frein after receiving reports of a man going in and out of an empty hangar on the base in Tannersville, Pennsylvania, and later found a sniper rifle and pistol stashed nearby." I'm sure it was just a hunting rifle--other reports merely describe it as a .308 rifle with a scope.




Sixteenth Update (10/30/2014): Eric Frein has finally been captured. The Philadelphia ABC affiliate reports:

Pennsylvania State Police confirm they have captured Eric Frein, the man accused of killing a trooper last month. 

31-year-old Frein was apprehended by federal marshals inside an abandoned airport hangar at the old Birchwood Pocono Airpark in Tannersville, Monroe County. 

State police say Frein was unarmed at the time of his capture and was in good physical condition.  

Authorities say he was apprehended without a struggle and the scratch that could be seen on his face was there before his capture. 

He was taken into custody wearing the handcuffs of Pennsylvania State Trooper Corporal Bryon Dickson who he is accused of killing.  

He faces charges including first degree murder and attempted murder for the Sept. 12th ambush that killed Cpl. Dickson and seriously wounded Trooper Alex Douglass.

More at NBC News.

Fifteenth Update (10/28/2014): The Daily Mail reports that police have now borrowed a blimp outfitted with cameras and heat sensors (I presume thermal imagers) to try and spot Frein.

I don't remember where I came across it, but yesterday I saw a post where the author commented on the fact that none of the officers pictured as searching for Frein have mud on their knees, indicating that they are are not looking in caves, under thick brush, etc.--in other words, they aren't looking very hard.


Fourteenth Update (10/21/2014): Spotted again, but still at large. The Daily Mail reports:

Police shifted their search and a northeastern Pennsylvania school district tightened security amid another reported sighting Monday of the suspect in a deadly state police ambush. 

A local law enforcement official reported seeing suspect Eric Frein near the Swiftwater Post Office in the Pocono Mountains, leading to an intensive police search. 

Frein, 31, was not captured, Trooper Connie Devens said Monday night, and police are still searching for him more than a month after he shot dead a trooper and seriously injured another.

Police also checked blood supposedly found at a couple of cabins in the area, but neither of them were from Frein--they were animal blood. Of course, if he is hunting for food, that doesn't mean he didn't leave the blood. Anyway, it doesn't appear that the police are any closer to catching him than they were a month ago.



Thirteenth Update (10/8/2014): Police disclosed details from a handwritten note/journal, wherein Frein describes shooting the two state troopers. Based on what he wrote, Frein drove into the pond because he came across a road-block (which he hadn't expected) and diverted into an access road, crashing the vehicle. Apparently nothing more on a possible motive.


Twelfth Update (10/2/2014): More background on Frein--again nothing to indicate he was a survivalist. And nothing to indicate why he suddenly decided to become a murderer.

Eleventh Update: Cody Lundin explains that Eric Frein is not a survivalist.

Tenth Update (10/1/2014): Police have located a couple of pipe bombs.

(Source)

Ninth Update (9/29/2014): No real developments in the manhunt for Frein. However, the Citizens Voice attempts to delve into his background and finds ... pretty much nothing. It says that he had some conservative viewpoints and some liberal viewpoints, without further elaboration. No voting records. No one who knew him remembers anti-government or anti-police comments.

Eighth Update: Reuters reports that police searched an abandoned resort complex for Frein. The hotel--the Inn at Buck Hills Falls--is described in the article as "a 400-room, fortress-like structure on 134 acres of land in Barrett Township, Pennsylvania." Most hotels are not designed as fortresses, so I assume that it is "fortress-like" simply because Frein might have been there, and not because the structure is actually like a fortress.

Relevant to the general theme of this post, though, is that while the article begins by calling Frein a "survivalist," it later terms him as "an expert marksman and a skilled woodsman." The media is beginning to run low on descriptive nouns and adjectives. Perhaps next they will be calling him a hunter and trapper.

Seventh Update (9/26/2014): Frein may have targeted one of the police officers he shot because the officer (or so Frein may have believed) was having an affair with Frein's sister-in-law. So, not an anti-government "survivalist" then?

Sixth Update (9/25/2014): Police claim to have seen Frein at a distance several times, but he continues to elude capture.

Police have also found empty packs of Serbian cigarettes and soiled diapers they believe belonged to the suspect, who likes to reenact Eastern European battles. 

"We continue to find evidence of Frein's presence," Bivens said at a press conference today, adding that the items are being tested for DNA. 

"We're in the right area, it's only a matter of time before we apprehend him," he added.
Bivens said the diapers are a survivalist technique used "to be able to stay in position for a longer period of time." 

There have also been reports of gunshots in the area, none fired by law enforcement, he said. 

"Lethal force is authorized upon positive identification if he is not actively surrendering," Bivens said.

I've never read of the diapers at survivalist blogs or books, but I understand it is widely used by long haul truckers, and is consistent with what snipers might do. But, hey, long haul truckers, snipers, or survivalists, they are all the same, right?

Although police are concentration on a 5 square mile area around the home owned by Frein's parents, some residents of the area believe he has already moved on. This report from the Morning Call is interesting. They interviewed Tom Brown, Jr., a tracking and survival expert, who suggests it would be easy for Frein to stay hidden in the woods, particularly if he has been planning this for years as the police suggest.


Fifth Update (9/21/2014): Now the dominant theme is that Frein is a "self-taught survivalist." Still no evidence that he is actually a survivalist.

The stories today focus on police finding an AK rifle, a couple of "clips" (I'm sure they meant magazines) and other ammunition--not too far from where he abandoned a Jeep immediately following the shooting. The Philadelphia Inquirer  reports:

That discovery and other clues, state police Lt. Col. George Bivens said Sunday, convinced authorities the searchers were closing in on the accused killer. 

"We're pushing him hard," Bivens said. "He's no longer safe there." 

With the weapon were two magazine clips of ammunition and a camouflage bag full of ammunition, all partially hidden in tangled forest undergrowth. It was not known whether Frein abandoned the weapon and ammunition or planted them in the woods to be used later, Bivens said. 

Bivens would not say exactly where or when the items were found, but he did say they were not far from the Jeep Cherokee that Frein was believed to have abandoned about two miles from the state police barracks where the troopers were shot. ....

Frein apparently still has the scoped, .308 rifle he also stole from his parents' home.

The police investigators now maintain that "the shooting, and subsequent escape into familiar woods near his home, were planned 'extensively for months, and maybe years,' and included 'surveilling the station' where the troopers were shot .... "
I don't think that finding something that Frein abandoned 9 days ago is "pushing him hard." It is pretty obvious that Frein had never really practiced any of this plan as he thought he could simply haul a couple rifles with him into the woods and then discovered, after a few miles (if even that) that rifles and ammunition actually weigh a lot. A lesson for anyone that is thinking they may have to bug-out on foot.

(See also here and here).

Fourth Update (9/19/2014): Contrary to earlier reports, the police did not exchange gunfire with the suspect, according to the LA Times. Interestingly, the narrative seems to shifting from angry anti-government "survivalist" to just plain crazy. The same article closes with this:

State Police officials said this week that Frein has a long-standing grudge with law enforcement, and may believe he is actually an Eastern European soldier in a combat situation. 

Third Update (9/19/2014): Police may have closed in on Frien, according to the Daily Mail. (See also here and here).

ABC News has some more background on Frien, including:

Frein is part of a collection of groups called Red Alliance that practices MilSim -- recreating battles or wars with real uniforms and weapons for recreational purposes. They are particularly interested in Eastern European armies. Frein helped found the MilSim group Eastern Wolves, said fellow reenactor Roman Kamensky.

Summarizing a CNN interview with one of Frien's friends, "Jack," The Heavy reports:

Jack disputes the negative connotation of the word “survivalist,” saying Frein was an Eagle Scout. 

“He was obviously a big critic of the federal government,” Jack said, “but he never specifically targeted police when he was talking to me. … Most of his aggression was toward the federal government, and I’m curious as to where news sources have been finding these comments about him killing police officers over social media. … Getting ahold of Eric was notoriously hard among our group of friends because of his lack of social media use.”

Buried at the bottom of an NBC article is a statement from another person that knew Frein:

But Jeremiah Hornbaker, who worked with Frein on several film productions and last spoke to him in June, said the fugitive made no secret of his views — to a point. 

"Definitely, he could be very critical of the government. He voiced his opinions, had strong feelings — but nothing like, 'I'm going to go out and kill people and commit mass murder,'" Hornbaker said.

An FBI press release states that "[h]e is known to be a heavy smoker, a weapons enthusiast, and a survivalist and has studied the Russian and Serbian languages."

Via a post on the Survivalist Forum, is this link to a MySpace page that pictures Frein with his reenactment group. A possible video.


Second Update: A couple more articles with more information from the Times Leader and the Daily Beast. Now Frien is a "self-described survivalist." However, the Times Leader article interviewed a long time friend of Frien:

Jake, who didn’t give his last name to the CNN anchor, said Frein is “very intelligent” and disputed Frein’s ability to survive in the woods.

“When people say he is a survivalist, that’s almost a negative computation,” Jake told the anchor.

Jake noted Frein has negative opinions about the federal government and that he never heard Frein criticize police. He also said Frein shunned the use of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter.

He apparently was a military re-enactor who had participated in the making of a film. The Times Leader article states:

The Allentown Morning Call in March 2005 published a blotter item saying Frein was jailed in Monroe County Prison for lack of $75,000 bail on a fugitive from justice warrant. At the time, he was wanted by the Schuyler County, New York, Sheriff’s Department on allegations he had stolen items while participating in a World War II re-enactment near Watkins Glen, New York, in 2004.

 The Daily Beast article similarly reports:

[Frien] had become involved in military reenactments, apparently working at one point as an “armorer’s assistant” for a company that produced them. Eric Frein’s one prior serious brush with the law had come after he was accused of burglary and grand larceny from a World War II reenactment in Catherine, New York. He had made arrangements to surrender but failed to show and was picked up as a fugitive in Pennsylvania. He was held on $75,000 bail, but the case was resolved without him receiving a significant prison sentence. There seems to be nothing in his life to explain the anti-cop vitriol he is said to have spewed in social media and to people who knew him.

Update (9/17/2014): The media and police continue to use their bogyman phrases to describe Frein, now adding "sniper" to "survivalist." ABC News reports:

The suspect in the shooting of two Pennsylvania state troopers is a sharpshooting survivalist who specifically targeted cops and was out for mass murder, authorities said. 

... Suspect Eric Matthew Frein, 31, from Canadensis, Pa., practices survivalism -- the ability to survive without the help of government or society, and often storing food and guns, Pennsylvania police said today. Police who searched his home found a copy of a book entitled Sniper Training and Employment, according to the court documents.

Ah, yes. The possession of the infamous  TC 23-14 military manual makes him a "sniper." I still have my college physics text--I suppose that makes me a physicist!

Well, at least they now define what is a survivalist, but, of course, don't actually offer any facts to show that Frein, who lived with his parents, actually prepared "to survive without the help of government or society" (the horror!) or stored food. In fact, if that is their description of a survivalist, I would think that most squirrels and chipmunks would qualify. (I know that squirrels and chipmunks can't use guns, but they can bite, which should count for something).

The guy is a whack job murderer--isn't it enough to describe him as such rather than malign a bunch of people that are just trying their best to follow FEMA and Red Cross guidelines, and recommendations from the CDC, to store food and water in the event of a disaster.

Original Post: By now, you may have heard that Eric Matthew Frein has been named as a suspect in the shooting of two Pennsylvania state police officers, one of whom has died from his wounds. Based on the stories, it sounds as though Frein ditched his vehicle and disappeared into the woods. News reports and the police are labeling Frein as a "survivalist." (See, e.g., this Fox News report, NBC's story, and an LA Times article).

My first thought, though, is why are they calling him a "survivalist"? The NBC story has the most details, and it only reports:

"He is at large and he is considered armed and extremely dangerous," Commissioner Frank Noonan said. "He has been described as a survivalist...He has made statements about wanting to kill law enforcement officers and also about wanting to commit mass acts of murder."

... "He’s expressed anti-government leanings in the past, especially toward law enforcement, and he has survivalist training," the commissioner said. The search warrant says that Frein's father, a retired Army major, taught his son how to shoot.   

In other words, he's white, he doesn't like the government, he fled into the woods and the police can't find him. Ergo, he must be a "survivalist".

Here's my take: he's 31 and still living with his parents, he's white and male, and he spends too much time on social media. He must be a "Pajamas Boy".