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Frein had interest in Serbian army group accused of genocide [The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.](Times-Tribune (Scranton, PA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oct. 12--Eric Matthew Frein's infatuation with the Serbian military is evident in the uniforms he wears in photographs splashed across the Internet. If the clothes make the man, they may also reveal a more sinister side of the accused cop killer's psyche. Several photos show Mr. Frein wearing a patch of the Drina Wolves, a notorious unit within the Serbian Army that took part in the 1995 massacre of more than 7,500 men and boys in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica. The patch, available through various online retailers, is among a vast array of military insignia popular with military enthusiasts, some of whom, like Mr. Frein, took part in re-enacting military battles. But Mr. Frein was no typical enthusiast, authorities say. His play world of war games turned real on Sept. 12, when police say the Canadensis man fatally shot Cpl. Bryon K. Dickson II of Dunmore and wounded Trooper Alex T. Douglass of Olyphant in a sniper attack at the Blooming Grove state police barracks in Pike County. Mr. Frein's infatuation with the Serbian Army is among the clues that could help authorities gain a better understanding of his psyche, with the hope it will help lead to his capture, said Gregg O. McCrary of Fredericksburg, Virginia, a retired criminal profiler with FBI. It's not unusual to discover people who commit terroristic-type crimes against humanity are followers of other violent people or groups, Mr. McCrary said. "They attach themselves to some ideology or belief system that, in their minds, morally justifies homicide, suicide or both," Mr. McCrary said. "Usually it's an omnipotent, grandiose or violent group or leader." The Drina Wolves were among several paramilitary sects within the Serbian Army who committed atrocities during the civil war in the former Yugoslavia. The group's blue patch depicting a wolf's head is visible in several photos posted of Mr. Frein on various MySpace pages. In addition to wearing the patch, Mr. Frein's MySpace page, which has been taken down, showed he followed a page named for Radovan Karadzic, the Bosnian Serb leader who is currently on trial in The Hague for war crimes for ordering the Srebrenica massacre and others. Mr. McCrary said extremists groups are particularly popular with loners who have a low sense of self worth and lack their own identity. "These guys are what we consider to be losers in life. They have not accomplished much," he said. "They are compensating for real world failures. They feel better if they can link to a group they see as powerful and omnipotent." Mr. Frein, 31, was unemployed and lived with his parents. Police say he stayed at the East Stroudsburg apartment of one of his fellow re-enactors, Justin Smith, in the hours before the shooting. Mr. Smith told investigators he was Mr. Frein's "only friend." "A lot of times what this is about is being an important figure," Mr. McCrary said. "You can be famous by doing really good things for the world and accomplishing a lot. Or, rather than be famous, you can infamous by picking up a gun and shooting a couple of troopers. ... That's what it's all about for these guys. They need to feel important and special." Authorities have collected several pieces of evidence they say link Mr. Frein to the shooting. Perhaps most incriminating is a journal that provided details of the ambush that only the shooter would know. It was found at a campsite at which authorities believe Mr. Frein stayed. The journal provided chilling details of the attack. "Got a shot ... took it," the writing read. "He dropped. I was surprised at how quick." Mary Ellen O'Toole, Ph.D., a retired FBI profiler from Quantico, Virginia, said the callousness of the notes shows her the writer has traits associated with a psychopath -- a psychiatric disorder characterized by a cluster of anti-social behaviors, including a lack of empathy, guilt or remorse and a callous disregard for the rights of others. "There are certain behaviors in the crime scene, including this letter, that suggest he manifests traits of psychopathy," she said. "The fact he could sit down after having shot two police officers and describe it like that ... and do it when he is on the run shows a very cold-blooded, able-to-think-under-pressure individual." Mr. McCrary said he sees the journal as the shooter's need to self-acknowledge his exploits. "It could be part of his need to validate what he's done and how he adapted to unforeseen circumstances," he said. As the search continues, Mr. McCrary and Dr. O'Toole said one thing is clear: Mr. Frein remains a dangerous man. "The cold bloodedness is what concerns me," Dr. O'Toole said. "When they do catch up with him, I can't see him just willingly and very sheepishly surrendering." Mr. McCrary agreed, saying he expects the case will end with Mr. Frein committing suicide either at his own hand, or by forcing police to shoot him. "He knows the outcome will be lethal for him, but that's preferable to these guys rather than subject themselves to what they consider to be this unlawful or immoral authority," Mr. McCrary said. Contact the writers: [email protected], [email protected] ___ (c)2014 The Times-Tribune (Scranton, Pa.) Visit The Times-Tribune (Scranton, Pa.) at thetimes-tribune.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |