A letter addressed to “Mom and Dad” along with post-capture interviews became the basis for terrorism charges against trooper ambush suspect Eric Frein.
Federal prosecutors found the letter, which talks of a revolution that can "get us back the liberties we had" on a thumb drive they seized from the airplane hangar where Frein was captured last month after 48 days on the run.
Part of the letter reads, "I do not have a death wish but I know the odds. I tried my best to do this without getting identified..." The writer goes on to say, "I am just not a good son. I squandered so much opportunity and support and rarely tried my best at anything."
According to the criminal complaint, after his capture, Frein referred to the murder of one trooper as an "assassination" and told investigators he wanted to make a change in the government and "wake people up."
Frein -- an accomplished marksman -- is accused of ambushing two Pennsylvania state troopers outside the Blooming Grove barracks the night of Sept. 12. Cpl. Bryon Dickson was killed and Trooper Alex Douglass was seriously wounded.
The quiet take down of Frein last month 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 overhead, and small businesses suffered mounting losses.
Police said they linked Frein to the troopers' ambush after a man walking his dog discovered his partly submerged SUV 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.
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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 contacting them and the signal was traced to a location about 3 miles away. At times police ordered nearby residents to stay inside or prevented them from returning home.
When Frein was arrested near an abandoned airline hangar, he was placed in the handcuffs of the trooper he's accused of killing. He was driven back to the state police barracks in the trooper's cruiser.
Police refused to tell Frein that his family had hired an attorney for him the night he was captured, his lawyer has said. Veteran criminal defense attorney James Swetz said he was prevented from seeing Frein the night he was arrested.
"I was told, 'He's an adult and has not asked for a lawyer,'" Swetz recounted days ago.
31-year-old Frein appeared for his court hearing Thursday via video in an orange jumpsuit with his two attorneys standing behind him. Frein is already charged with first-degree murder. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against the 31-year-old.
