ROSS TOWNSHIP -- Relief seems to the common feeling among many in Ross Township.
Nearly two years after the shootings, there are still signs of sorrow from it all outside the Ross Township municipal building where three crosses still stand.
This is likely the last time Rockne Newell will be seen in public, as he walked out of the Monroe County Courthouse to begin serving his three life sentences.
Many people who live in Ross Township are relieved by that.
"I would think it's a relief that the whole situation is finally over. I'm sure everybody is a little more relaxed," said resident Rich Kuklentz.
"To see that finally over, and for him to take responsibility, it just brings relief not only to Ross Township to the surrounding townships," said Marilyn Johnson of Saylorsburg.
Johnson and her husband Danny live just up the road from where it all happened. Danny is a retired police officer and says seeing Newell behind bars puts an end to such a dark time for the community.
"That's a tragedy, that's something that's really hard to really fathom. It's not like it was done in the line of duty. It was done out of malice and hate."
As relieved as people were near Ross Township, some say they wish Rockne Newell didn't get the easy way out.
"He should've gotten the death penalty but they don't kill people in the state of Pennsylvania, so what's the difference?" asked Bill Wigglehorn.
Wigglehorn says the impact Newell left is still quite noticeable in the area.
"They want to build a new municipal building because no one wants to go back there."
"There's a small meat market up there and they'd say, 'I never felt comfortable when he was there.' It was different. It was different," Kuklentz said.
As for the Ross Township municipal building, construction on a new one is expected to start in a couple of weeks, right next to the old one where it all happened.
