What We Know About Abandoned Airport Where Frein Was Found

ByMEGHAN KENEALLY ABCNews logo
Friday, October 31, 2014

The abandoned airplane hangar where accused cop killer Eric Frein was found has been closed for the past 16 years.

Frein, 31, was captured by a team of U.S. Marshals in an open field near the Birchwood-Pocono Airpark around 6 p.m. on Thursday. Pennsylvania officials announced today that the marshals were not directed to the airpark by any specific tip, but were checking the area as part of their normal search.

The airpark is located near Tannersville about 30 miles away from where Frein allegedly shot two state troopers on Sept. 12. The airpark is just one long runway and a hangar. The facility is surrounded by thick woods and a small lake, with just a few rural roads in the area.

The landing strip was originally built in the early 1960s when the owner of the nearby Birchwood Resort wanted to drive more traffic to his hotel. USA Today reports that the tiny airport closed in 1998.

"I had been there when it was a viable resort," a nearby resident who identified himself as Lou told ABC News. "I was there a couple times. There was a nightclub scene."

Officials would not reveal what they found inside the hanger, which they believe Frein used as a shelter during his 48 days on the run.

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