Accused cop killer Eric Frein pleads not guilty

MILFORD, Pa. (WPVI) -- The man accused of killing a Pennsylvania State Trooper and injuring another has entered a plea of not guilty.

Eric Frein is facing the death penalty for the alleged murder of Cpl. Bryon Dickson and the wounding of Trooper Alex Douglass.

Frein is accused of ambushing the two troopers outside the Blooming Grove Barracks in September.

He was on the run for seven weeks and he was captured in an abandoned hangar in the Poconos.

He's scheduled to go to trial this March but defense attorneys don't anticipate a trial until 2016 at the earliest.

Many pre-trial motions are expected, including a possible change of venue.

"There is no question venue is an issue, let's not pretend it's not, so we will see where that goes," said Michael Weissman, defense attorney.

There'd be no trial if a plea is reached but Pike County District Attorney Raymond Tonkin would have to offer one.

"I am not considering a plea at this time," said Tonkin.

Trooper Douglass survived the shooting but has undergone more than a dozen surgeries for internal injuries and a shattered hip.

On Thursday, a post on his Facebook support page says he underwent surgery yet again in New York and his fellow trooper calls the procedure a big step on the road to recovery.

"We wish him well. He's in very high spirits. He has hip replacement surgery and will be recovering there for special surgery, followed by a rehab facility in New York State," said Lt. Chris Paris.

Meanwhile there is a pretrial hearing for Frien scheduled for February 2nd.