PAGE 2 Pike County Courier www.pikecountycourier.com MARCH 31-APRIL 6, 2017 Commonwealth v. Frein: A cast of characters Here are some of the people connected to the high-profi le trooper ambush case to be tried in Milford next month BY ERIKA NORTON MILFORD — The trial of Eric Frein, the Canadensis man who led authorities on a 48-day manhunt through the woods of Pike and Monroe Counties after allegedly killing a state police offi cer and seriously injuring another, is set to start in April at the Pike County Courthouse on Broad Street in Milford. These are some of the people connected with the case: Prosecutor a military simulation unit based quitted of all charges and released Dickson is reportedly suing Eric Pike County District Attorney Ray in eastern Pennsylvania whose from the county prison. In 2011, he Frein, the man accused of shooting Tonkin members role-play soldiers from represented Lamont Cherry, who and killi Eric Frein Ray Tonkin is the main pros- Cold War-era eastern Europe, ac- was convicted of third-degree Earlier in this year, Pike County ecutor in the Commonwealth vs. cording to the state police. murder in the May 2009 death of Judge Gregory Chelak granted a Frein. He is seeking the death pen- In 2004, he was charged with a one-year-old girl and later sen- prosecutor's request to bar Eric alty in the case. However, Pennsyl- burglary and grand larceny after tenced to 20 to 40 years in prison. Frein from presenting evidence of vania currently has a moratorium police accused him of stealing insanity or "mental infi rmity" at on executions while the governor items from vendors at a World War Victims his upcoming trial. ng her husband awaits the results of a legislative II re-enactment in Watkins Glen Corporal Bryon K. Dickson II and in an ambush on Sept. 12, 2014. commission's report. in upstate New York. He failed to Trooper Alex T. Douglass Tonkin was first elected Dis- show for his trial, and was arrested Pennsylvania State Police Cor- Co-worker trict Attorney in 2007, and was in Pennsylvania as a fugitive from poral Bryon Dickson, 38, of Dun- Corporal Nicole Palmer an assistant district attorney and justice, according to the Schuyler more was shot and killed from an Pennsylvania State Police Cor- Pike County District a fi rst assistant district attorney County Sheriff's Department. ambush at the Blooming Grove poral Nicole Palmer was the dis- Attorney Ray Tonkin for nearly a decade before that. Barracks in Pike County at ap- patcher on duty at the time of the He was raised in Pike County, and Defense attorneys proximately 11 p.m.. on Sept. 12, ambush at the Blooming Grove started his professional career as Michael Weinstein and William 2014. Eric Frein is charged with his Barracks in Pike County on Sept. a police offi cer, graduating from Ruzzo murder. Dickson is survived by his 12, 2014. She is reported to have the University of Scranton and the Michael Weinstein, a long-time wife, Tiffany; his two sons, Bryon run out of the building to help University of Pittsburgh School of criminal defense attorney and a III and Adam; and his parents, Dickson in the line of fi re. She tried Law. Since taking offi ce, Tonkin criminal capital defender, is co- Bryon and Darla Dickson. to drag him inside. After Douglass has obtained seven murder con- counsel for Eric Frein. He served as Dickson served as U.S. Marine also fell, after a gunshot, she and victions at trial. the Pike County District Attorney and on June 11, 2007, he enlisted several troopers again helped drag from 1980 to 1988, and has also in the Pennsylvania State Police. both police offi cers in. Defendant been general counsel to the Dela- After graduation from the Acad- Palmer is reportedly suing Attorney Michael Eric Matthew Frein ware Valley School District for the emy, he was assigned to Troop N, Frein and his parents, Eugene and Weinstein Frein, 33, of Canadensis in last 15 years. Currently he prac- Fern Ridge, on Dec. 21, 2007. On Deborah Frein, for the physical Monroe County, is accused of tices law at his fi rm, Weinstein & July 20, 2013, he was promoted to and emotional stress she suffered killing Pennsylvania State Police Zimmerman, on Broad Street in Corporal and assigned to Troop while cowering under the desk to Corporal Bryon K. Dickson II of Milford. He is also a member of K, Philadelphia. He transferred to make calls for help from other po- Dunmore and seriously wound- the Milford Lodge and the Mil- Troop R, Blooming Grove on June lice offi cers, seriously affecting her ing Pennsylvania State Trooper ford Lions Club, and a founding 21, 2014. He served as a Patrol Unit ability to work and make a living. Alex T. Douglass of Olyphant dur- member of the United Way of Pike Supervisor at both Stations after She also recently fi led two civil ing an ambush on Sept. 12, 2014, County. his promotion. lawsuits against nine individual outside the Blooming Grove bar- In 2010, Weinstein defended one Pennsylvania State Police police officers at the Blooming racks. Frein was added to the FBI’s of two drug dealers charged with Trooper Alex T. Douglass, 33, of Grove barracks where the shooting Most Wanted List during a 48-day kidnapping and fatally shooting a Olyphant was critically wounded took place, as well as the Pennsyl- Attorney William Ruzzo manhunt stretching across Pike third dealer whose body was found after an ambush at the Blooming vania State Police itself, for alleged and Monroe counties involving in a wooded area of Porter Town- Grove Barracks in Pike County on intimidation and sexual and other hundreds of local, state, and fed- ship in 2007. Both defendants were Sept. 12, 2014. He was allegedly harassment during her time work- eral officials. Authorities finally convicted and sentenced to life in wounded by the defendant, Eric ing in the barracks. captured Frein on Oct. 30, 2014. prison. Frein. The charges against him include: Both Weinstein and Frein’s co- After the shooting, Douglass Jury ■ Murder in the fi rst degree counsel, William Ruzzo, worked spent a month in treatment at The fi nal selection of 12 jurors ■ Criminal attempt to commit together in 2013 representing Geisinger Community Medical from Chester County, in the Phil- murder in the fi rst degree Rockne Newell, a man charged Center for a shot wound in his pel- adelphia area, was completed last ■ Murder of a law enforcement of- with fatally shooting three people vis. After countless hours of phys- week. The defense attorneys had fi cer in the fi rst degree at a Ross Township supervisors' ical therapy and over 16 surgeries, wanted a change of venue, say- Cpl. Bryon Dickson ■ Criminal attempt to commit meeting. Newell pleaded guilty in including a hip replacement, Dou- ing Frein could not get a fair trial murder of a law enforcement of- May 2015 to three counts of fi rst- glass is slowly recovering and in Pike County because of intense fi cer in the fi rst degree degree murder and other charges hopes to get back to work. He was media coverage of the case locally. ■ Assault of a law enforcement of- and was sentenced to life in prison. awarded the Pennsylvania State The judge did not agree but did fi cer William Ruzzo, of Kingston, Pa., Police version of the Purple Heart grant a change of venire, which al- ■ Terrorism (two counts), Weap- is serving as co-counsel for Eric and, in 2015, completed the New lowed the jury to be picked from ons of mass destruction (two Frein. He has defended more than York City Marathon in two hours out of the area. counts) 30 death penalty cases and retired and 33 minutes using a hand- ■ Discharging a fi rearm into an oc- from the Luzerne County Pub- powered, three-wheeled cycle. Judge cupied structure lic Defender’s Offi ce in 2013 after He was Sen. Pat Toomey’s (R-Pa.) Pike County Court of Common Pleas Judge Gregory Chelak ■ Recklessly endangering another working there since 1988. guest at President Barack Obama’s Tpr. Alex Douglass person He worked on the high-profi le last State of the Union address. Earlier in this year, Pike County On Jan. 29, 2015, Frein pleaded case of George Banks, who shot Douglass has also reportedly Judge Gregory Chelak granted a not guilty to all charges. and killed 13 people on Sept. 25, fi led a lawsuit against Eric Frein. prosecutor's request to bar Eric 1982, in Wilkes-Barre and Jenkins Frein from presenting evidence According to the FBI, Frein was a Victim's wife heavy smoker, a weapons enthusi- Township. Banks was sentenced of insanity or "mental infi rmity" ast, and a survivalist. He attended to death but was later declared Tiffany Dickson of Dunmore at his upcoming trial. He also al- the Pocono Mountain School Dis- too mentally ill to execute. Dur- Tiffany Dickson is the widow of lowed jury selection from out of trict in Monroe County and for a ing his January 2005 trial, Ruzzo slain Pennsylvania State Police of- the county but did not allow the time East Stroudsburg Univer- represented John Michaels, a man fi cer, Corporal Bryon Dickson. She trial to be moved out of Pike. sity and Northampton Commu- charged with setting a blaze that is the mother of the couple’s two nity College. He also belonged to killed a woman.