Community Chat

[PickyPicky3]

Eight years ago Pennsylvanian Eric Frein (now 39) murdered a state trooper and permanently disabled another in an attack on their barracks. He was caught after a long manhunt.

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The disabled trooper and the widow of the murdered trooper sued Frein's parents because they allowed him access to weapons and imbued him with a hatred of law enforcement even though they knew he was mentally unstable. The parents' guns were not used in the attack.

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The parents' lawyer asked that the lawsuit be dropped. The judge was about to hear arguments on that issue when he was informed the case was settled.

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I wonder if the parents had an umbrella insurance policy that paid for a settlement. You would think that lawsuit would have been difficult to win. No other details available.

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[Cakers3]

And??

[occasionalrain]

@PickyPicky3

While legally there was little chance of winning, the possibility of winning a huge settlement would have insurance companies settling.

[moonandthestars]

@PickyPicky3The real underpinning of the case would have been the parent's indoctrinating their son to hate law enforcement? I wonder if that argument could have been used in the son's defense? Maybe that did come out in the son's trial and that's why this is being said of parents now? Otherwise how would anyone know this or even say this about them?

[Snowpuppy]

Reminds me of that other case in FL where they want parents held liable. How much do they think the parents have and why wait this long?

[PickyPicky3]

Eric Frein is on death row. This case was exceptionally emotional and stressful for Pennsylvanians because Frein was on the run for 48 days. I'm sure the plaintiffs were counting on that. There's a good Wikipedia summary on Eric Frein.

[occasionalrain]

Since he didn't use his parent's guns the claim that they made their guns accessible is a non issue. The lawsuit should have been dismissed. Probably would have been unless the judge didn't want to be seen as unsympathetic. The killer was an adult and adults form views that often diverge from those of their parents.

[chrystaltree]

The case was settled because there was more to this than was reported in the news. While it seems like the parents had no liability, there was something that made them and perhaps their homeowners insurance decide they didn't want this to go to a jury.

[PickyPicky3]

@chrystaltree   Oh to be a fly on the wall.

[PickyPicky3]

Found some details in a 9/27/17 article in the New York Post. 

Also read that the plaintiffs' lawyer wanted to subpoena Frein's father's counseling records from Rutgers University in 1985 when he was a student there.