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Residents in Monroe County Area Impacted by Frein Manhunt React to Start of His Jury Selection

BARRETT TOWNSHIP — Two and a half years after he allegedly opened fire on a state police barracks in Pike County, accused cop killer Eric Frein’s de...

BARRETT TOWNSHIP -- Two and a half years after he allegedly opened fire on a state police barracks in Pike County, accused cop killer Eric Frein's death penalty trial is now getting underway.

Jury selection will start Thursday, March 9, in Chester County near Philadelphia.

“It's another step in the process and hopefully it will come out the way it should come out,” said Glen Reilly from Greentown.

“He is entitled to his fair trial but he did what he did and he did put this whole town, five of our towns on alert,” said Elisabeth Pipolo, the owner of The Pour House.

At the Pour House, a restaurant and bar in Barrett Township, many here remember the 48-day manhunt for Frein, who quickly made it onto the FBI's most wanted list.

“People, they just wanted to know where he was and because you heard different things, he was seen in Buck Hill, he was seen the Skytop area,” said Pipolo.

Frein is accused of killing Corporal Bryon Dickson and injuring Trooper Alex Douglass during that attack at the Blooming Grove barracks in early September 2014.

In the seven weeks that followed, hundreds of troopers searched the four townships surrounding Frein's home in Canadensis.

“No matter where you went there was traffic blocks, trying to get home at night, getting stops and road checks constantly, it wasn't a good time that's for sure,” said William Rienheart.

U.S. Marshals eventually captured Frein at the former Birchwood-Pocono Airpark on October 30, 2014. Investigators say he had been hiding out in an abandoned hanger there.

Folks here in Barrett Township certainly remember that night.

“So the night that he was caught, we had heard that he was caught, and then all of a sudden we heard sirens so we went outside and there were police cars going really fast down and so we were like woo-hoo,” said Pipolo.

1200 people were summoned for jury selection in Chester County and it could take weeks for that jury to be picked.

Newswatch 16 will be in Chester County on Thursday for day one.

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