A handwritten letter believed to have been penned by alleged cop killer Eric Matthew Frein has been found in the Pennsylvania woods, detailing how the suspect in the ambush of two Pennsylvania State Police troopers carried out the attack and then has been able to elude capture since then, ABC News reported.
Police discovered the letter while hunting for Frein in the Pocono Mountains, law enforcement officials revealed to CNN on Monday. Based on the details of the letter, authorities are convinced that the letter was handwritten by the 31-year-old suspect, who's been on the run since Sept. 12.
The note reportedly offers details about how Frein allegedly ambushed the Blooming Grover police barracks and shot at two Pennsylvania State troopers on Sep. 12, eventually killing Cpl. Bryon Dickson and wounding Trooper Alex T. Douglass, according to unnamed officials. It does not, however, contain a motive for the shooting or make it clear whether it was left intentionally or by accident.
"I am not commenting on any evidence found unless it poses a threat to the community," trooper Tom Kelly said in a statement, refusing to confirm or deny the existence of the letter.
Over the four-week manhunt involving more than 1,000 officers in an area near the border of Pike and Monroe counties in eastern Pennsylvania, police said Frien has been "making errors" in his continued effort to hide from his pursuers, including leaving two "fully functional" pipe bombs, an AK-47, soiled diapers and Serbian cigarettes behind, Post Standard Syracuse reported.
On Friday, police found a campsite where Frien is believed to have stashed food, clothing, other supplies, and 90 rounds of ammunition from the same type of rifle used during the ambush, according to UPI.
Described to be a self-trained survivalist and war re-enactor, Frien has been spotted several times, with the latest sighting reported as recently as Sunday. But the suspect has been able to evade police capture in the five-square mile area due to his training and the thick terrain.
However, police are hoping that cooler weather will allow for aerial surveillance and eventually force Frein out of the woods. "The cold will help us," said Edward J. Hanko, the special agent in charge of the Philadelphia division of the FBI. "He's out there, and he's not going to be starting fires to keep warm."
"People who knew Frein have described him as 'goofy but dark,' and one former colleague even suggested that he was imitating the movie character Rambo when he allegedly opened fire on the troopers," according to ABC News.
Meanwhile, the FBI, who is also involved in the manhunt, has included Frein to its 10 Most Wanted Fugitive List.