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Jurors Hear from Eric Frein’s Manhunt Journal

MILFORD — The jury in the trial for Eric Frein heard entries from a journal Frein kept during the seven-week manhunt in the Poconos. Newswatch 16 was insi...

MILFORD -- The jury in the trial for Eric Frein heard entries from a journal Frein kept during the seven-week manhunt in the Poconos.

Newswatch 16 was inside the Birchwood-Pocono Airpark hangar near Tannersville a few days after investigators removed evidence.

The abandoned resort and hangar were run down and debris was scattered all over inside the hangar.

In the back left, troopers say they found numerous items Frein used while he hid from the massive manhunt.

Jurors saw photos of food, clothing, a bed, a pistol, and maps, as well as a laptop, radio, and notebook.

Trooper Gerald Gustas read from those pages in court which is believed to be Frein's journal.

Each day, entries were logged in the notebook since the deadly attack at the Blooming Grove state police barracks.

Frein described evading police in Pike County, crossing Interstate 84, and going into Monroe County near his home in Canadensis.

One week into the manhunt, Frein wrote that patrols missed him by 100 meters.

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By September 24, he was at the abandoned Birchwood resort, and wrote, "Got a bath. Listened to music on laptop. Classical made me cry. Mr. Prine made me laugh."

Frein also laughed at the notion that he was a survivalist, since the longest he ever camped was three days.

At one point he wrote, "they're calling me a survivalist. Ha! Catchy phrase, I guess."

The journal also included how Frein admitted he never camped longer than three days before. Frein wondered how he would find food and how long the massive search could go on.

Later, all the physical evidence from the hangar was shown in court – weapons, maps, and USB thumb drives, one of which contained a letter to Frein's parents saying he was sorry, and that the shooting was meant to spark a revolution.

"Showed all the pictures of evidence, then the actual evidence, very interesting," said Joe Gambucci.

Gambucci of Stroudsburg sat in on the trial for the first time.  He and the jury got a look at Eric Frein's journal, complete with day-by-day descriptions of evading police.

"The journal speaks for itself," said Gambucci. "As far as them searching someplace else, I don't know anything about that. They're doing the best they could, I guess. I guess he threw them off a little bit but they got him."

State Senator Lisa Baker, who called for hearings on lessons that can be learned from the 48-day manhunt that cost more than $11 million, spent part of the day listening to the trial.

"And at the conclusion of that, if that's appropriate, to look at an after-action assessment, I've always been open to looking at that," said Sen. Lisa Baker, (R) 20th District.

For the time being, jurors will be poring over evidence in the remaining days of the trial. All of Corporal Bryon Dickson's family waits for justice.

"I thought it would be important to show my support for the Dickson family as this process moves forward," said Sen. Baker.

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